


Without Words

by Artemis_Linard



Category: Undertale
Genre: Angst, Aphonia, Barriers, Feels, Fluff, Monsters, Running Away, Sickness, cutesy moments, death?, doting parents, friendships, multi-chapter, mute!Frisk, terminal illness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-08 22:03:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 29,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5514938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Linard/pseuds/Artemis_Linard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Update 3/20/18: I know it’s been a long hiatus, but more chapters may be on their way ;)</p><p>Frisk was first diagnosed two months before their 10th birthday but things were already going downhill. Previously diagnosed  with a form of muteness known as aphonia at age 5, not speaking was the least of their worries when Frisk showed signs of rapid muscle deterioration. </p><p>Then the medication began. And the tests. And long hospital stays.</p><p>At 10 years old, Frisk wants nothing more than to play with other kids and be done with the hospital. However, that is impossible, and the chances of being a medical test subject until death were pretty high. Looking out the window one day presents them with a chance to at least forestall their fate. Mt. Ebott looks inviting... And so an adventure begins. One that will change the fate of human and monster kind forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh I'm so glad I did this! If you've just decided to read this, hello, thank you for checking it out, it really means a lot :)
> 
> I've had this idea for mute!Frisk for a long time now and the more it came together in my mind the less I wanted it to stay there, so I hope you like it. Ugh I suck at these, I want to say a lot but I try to keep it short and simple at the same time... I will post tidbits in future notes.

 

Frisk sat on the bed, legs hanging limply. Focusing on the floor was becoming increasingly difficult as two voices slowly grew in volume until they were yelling.

To the left of the hospital bed was a tan chair, far too plush to be comfortable, as the person seated there kept sinking into the cushiony fabric. It didn't stop her insistent badgering however, unfortunately. Even the present in her lap was forgotten in her heated defense of the child on the bed.

Leaning casually against the wall was a tall, dark haired man- he had the business man part down but all too often had failed at being a father, at least until his child showed signs of having terminal illness. Funny how that brought out the selflessness in people.

Right now he had that expression he always wore when nothing was going to change his mind, but still mom was going to try.

"Jake, look at our baby and say no one more time. Frisk has been here for a whole week longer than we thought it would be, are you honestly insisting that we stay another week? Frisk needs to go home- it'll help with the recovery being somewhere less stressful!"

"Oh my God, Anna. Do you want something to happen and then have us not be able to get up here in time?"

A shocked sob. Realizing his folly immediately the husband went to comfort the wife, asking her to forgive him, and all the while Frisk had a staring match with anything but the other two humans in the room. It wasn't uncommon for the death of their 'baby' to be discussed right in front of them. Frisk was used to it.

Luckily today dad didn't have it in him to break his wife down anymore and they managed to agree on going home Thursday.

Thursday came and went. Frisk was glad to be free of the confines of that small sterilized hospital room with its brightly smiling nurses and white walls with clown paintings.

Even getting home was a hassle, the checkout process taking ages before the slow walk to the car and then the painstakingly long drive to their home on the other side of the city. Ha, better not have an emergency at home or they'd be dead.

Looking out the window at the dreary and dirty city did nothing for a child's mood, especially for Frisk, but it was something you get used to when you have weekly checkups.

At home they all unpacked the car (well, Frisk really just carried their new toy bear and headed straight to their room) and Anna could be heard preparing dinner shortly after.

"You'll like what I cook today, Frisk," she had told them in the car. Already the telltale scent of a butterscotch cinnamon pie was wafting up through Frisk's door. Flopping onto the bed- gently- Frisk looked out at the room, untouched since their last visit. The walls were painted to look like a forest, trees all along it with cute animals darting between them. It looked like someone had tried too hard to paint a happy, cheery scene but Frisk would never complain- it was pointless.

Chirping outside their prison drew their attention to the window. Frisk slid off the bed and over to it, unlocking the glass pane and sliding it up to lean on the sill and look out. From here Mt. Ebott stretched up into the sky, the sight enough to revitalize that determination again. What would it be like to get lost on those leafy slopes? Who knew. Not Frisk. Frisk had never been out of the city except to go to the research facility.

Little Ridge was actually a really big city which had started out as a small mountain settlement and then grown and bloomed into a bustling burg full of smog and bad attitude. Mom and dad frequently considered leaving but family and business ties kept them tied town... And of course, their terminally ill child.

Dinner was eventually served, along with a dessert of delicious butterscotch cinnamon pie. Anna always made sure they had a big fancy dinner after a long hospital trip, even if Frisk could hardly eat a thing. The effort was appreciated.

The table was thick with awkwardness and everything spoken was sugar coated for Frisks sake but when all was said and done Frisk excused themselves and returned to their room.

Frisk figured tomorrow would be the day. One of the other sick kids in the playroom had told everyone a legend about monsters being sealed inside Mt. Ebott and that anyone who wanders onto the mountain alone disappears.

Frisk didn't want to die, but disappearing sounded really nice.

Friday came and an opportunity to find out if the rumors were true or not presented itself. While Anna was fixing lunch- excuse me, mom. While mom was fixing lunch Frisk had been out in the back watering the buttercups in the garden, their favorite flower. The woods were so tempting.... It was time to take a walk.

And walk they did, for about an hour. By then people were probably looking for their precious sick baby but they would discover they were nowhere to be found. Frisk meanwhile was enjoying this immensely- who knew that a real forest could be full of so many adventures!

Wandering up the slope had even revealed a real life cave, with stalagmites and stalactites and everything. Almost as if drawn to it Frisk shuffled inside, listening. There was something distinctly eerie about the silence but when you're 10 you don't notice these things.

If words would come out they would have yelled. Instead they stood as tall as they could, lifting their hands high and producing a mighty clap. The sound echoed off the walls before seeming to disappear somewhere in the middle of the cavern. A smile slowly spread across their face at the echoes. Clapping as they walked Frisk nearly stumbled straight over the edge of the sudden drop.

A giant hole, right in the middle of the cave?

A small tinge of sadness drew a happy smile into a frown, brown eyes searching the death below. Maybe this place is where the boy had talked about- where people disappear. Was this the final destination?

Wanting to see farther down Frisk wasn't completely ignorant to the danger of leaning over, instead hanging onto a nearby stalactite. Or was it a stalagmite? It was hard to remember when the two sounded so much alike. Unfortunately it was too dark to see anything, but there was a glint down there... What was that?

The sound of shifting rock was the only warning given before the ground gave out beneath Frisk and even as they tried to cling to their stone support it was obviously futile. The hand left the stone...

And then Frisk was free falling to what was undoubtedly their death.


	2. Help, I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk miraculously survived the fall, but they should have known things wouldn't be getting any better anytime soon.
> 
>  
> 
> *Enter Flowey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to positive feedback I went ahead and wrote another chapter It's basically just the Flowey scene at the beginning of the game, but it's one of my favorites so I felt the need to follow it word-for-word. poor Frisk. Don't worry, things will get better! Stay determined!

Sometimes death is quick to take its victims. Other times the sick being in question is slowly forced to submit to it cold embrace. No matter how it happens, the end is always told to be the same- you slowly fade away and grow more and more numb until blackness consumes you and the soul drifts silently to wherever it's destined.

Frisk begged to differ.

Death left a dull throbbing in the very core of your being that grew stronger the longer you sat their in purgatory or whatever. A pricking sensation accompanied the ache and began spreading throughout their body until it was almost like Frisk hadn't died upon impact, but were instead lying broken on a particularly scratchy hospital bed...

Frisk was scared to move. The mere idea caused their heart to thump irregularly against their ribcage. That tha-thump was proof that somehow the fall hadn't been fatal. Frisk was miraculously still alive, and somewhere very unfamiliar.

Pollen. They could see pollen drifting in the faint light, eyes narrowed against the pain. Head lolling to the side Frisk tried to look around. 'Been hit by a bus' didn't begin to explain the pain causing everything to throb, but magically nothing seemed broken. Which is impossible considering how weak Frisk had been before the fall.

It took effort to sit up and even more to stay calm. The roof of the cavern was far above, far out of reach. There didn't appear to be a way back from here. Looking around the edges of the cave were bathed in shadow, though enough light filtered down into the center that a patch of bright yellow buttercups had sprung up through the earth. They must have broken the fall.

Frisk quickly realized that staying here would be a bad idea. The light was fading, signaling that night was falling, and no sound came from above. It wouldn't hurt to wander around, perhaps there was a way up farther in.

Courage and strength both lacking greatly, the ground seemed to sway as they shuffled along, stopping only to lean against a pillar and catch their breath. What kind of place was this even?

A small scratching sound brought Frisk's attention to a small patch of light on the far side of the pillars. A single buttercup had suddenly sprouted, turning about with it's own life.

Mesmerized, Frisk didn't look away even as the flower turned to make eye contact. Woah, eyes? It even had a cheerful smile- it looked like something that belonged in the therapy room.

* Howdy! I'm Flowey, Flowey the flower!

A cheerful and high pitched voice emitted from the small plant, friendly and inviting. Frisk found their feet drawing them closer, worrying a knuckle on their right hand with white teeth.

* Hmmm...

* You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha?

* Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!

* I guess little old me will have to do.

Thankful for the help Frisk nodded weakly, shuffling forward to stand in front of the delicate bloom. A sudden chill starting at the chest spread across their body, forcing a shiver. What had just happened?

* Ready? Here we go!

Manifested before them was a red, tiny, pulsing heart like in a cartoon. It hovered several feet in front of them and if Frisk willed it, the heart would float around in any direction requested, though it seemed to be within a limited area.

* See that heart? That is your SOUL. The very culmination of your being!

* Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV.

Frisk tilted their head, a question in their eyes.

* What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't you?

Oh, if only he knew. Nodding slowly Frisk continued to conduct their 'SOUL', all the while the flower's smile growing.

* Don't worry, I'll share some with you! Down here, love is shown through... little white... friendliness pellets!

Flowey had a strange look in his beady eyes as small white seeds erupted from the ground and floated above him.

* Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!

The flower slowly moved the pellets downwards. Eager to please a possible new friend Frisk manuevered their SOUL straight into a seed- and gasped.

That HURT.

It felt like someone had stabbed a knife straight into their chest and left it there. Frisk dropped onto scratched knees, clutching their chest as the doubled over in pain. It was unlike any of the needles or therapy they had known before.

Meanwhile the sweet little golden flower had donned a violent expression.

* You idiot.

* In this world, it's kill or be killed. Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this?

The fact that the flower had lied was still trying to register when more of the tiny bullets suddenly surrounded the weakly glowing soul.

* DIE.

Frisk trembled uncontrollably. Their SOUL had nowhere to go- it was trapped, and for the first time in years, the prospect of dying terrified them.


	3. There was a Goat Lady Who Lived In A Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "In all this chaos, we found safety." -Brighten

 

The bullets were spinning towards the heart suspended in the air. For the second time that day Frisk was faced with the prospect of dying for real. Still trying to adjust to the unusual pain assaulting their SOUL, there wasn't time to flee and amidst their helpless panic Frisk closed brown eyes and awaited the worst.

But it never came.

The sound of oxygen being devoured was the only warning before a blazing fireball erupted from the shadows and hurled itself onto Flowey, causing him to screech and draw back into the ground. The bullets fell harmlessly into the scorched grass, leaving Frisk alone with their injured SOUL.

Where did that fire come from?

The soft scuffing of padded feet echoed in the cavern and Frisk, terrified of meeting an even scarier inhabitant scrambled backwards behind the nearest pillar for cover, only daring to peek out when the footsteps stopped.

They'd never seen anything like her. A gently sculpted muzzle revealed a warm smile that reached her eyes and the horns on her head were small and dull. The goat lady was stooped by the grassy patch, holding a pellet in one of her immense fuzzy paws. A purple robe was hanging all the way to her feet, fabric worn with strange symbol on the chest. Crimson eyes looked around the cavern, concerned.

* That terrible creature will bother you no more, young one. Please come out!

That voice was soft and warm and inviting. Frisk slowly peeked out from behind the pillar, eyebrows furrowed together with fear as they locked eyes with the motherly lady.

* Worry not, my child. I mean you no harm. My name is Toriel, and I'm the caretaker of these ruins. Come into the light-

Toriel had barely finished speaking before Frisk ran forward, falling into her lap and grabbing her robe, tears leaving tracks in the dirt on their cheeks. Surprise registered on her features briefly before she was petting the fine brown hair on the child's head.

* Oh my... You are hurt.

The pain in her voice was too strong to be from a stranger, and yet they had never met. She stood gently with Frisk in her arms and turned to head farther into the ruins.

* It will be alright... Hang in there a little longer.

Curled up against Toriel's bosom Frisk tried to pay attention to their surrounding but the pain in their chest was dizzying. This probably counted as an emergency to mom and result in a trip to the hospital. Who knew a visit to that sterilized whitewash building would seem so inviting?

The trip through the rest of the ruins was largely without incident and soon they had come to a stop.

* Welcome to your new home, my child. I hope you like it.

Frisk turned over, looking across the clearing to a very cozy looking brick house. Golden flowers covered the lawn and a warm glow shone from the windows.

Once inside Toriel took Frisk down a hallway and into a small bedroom, laying the child down gently. Bracing against the pain Frisk curled up towards the wall, twisting in the blankets.

* You are not the first to fall, yet by far you are the youngest.

* Hold still for me... Did you know that snails talk. Really. Slowly? Ha ha, I am only joking.

Toriel's soothing voice caused Frisk to still as she lay her hand over them. Slowly the pain that had assaulted them since they fell drained away, replaced by a warmth in their core that spread all over.

* Rest for now, young one. I will check on you after you rest.

Toriel stood to leave but stopped at a small tug on her dress. Looking down at the figure turned away, she sat back down, petting their hair.

Frisk was soon fast asleep, mind free to wander their dreams.

-

Frisk didn't know how long they slept but they awoke feeling rested and content... Except for the hunger gnawing at their belly.

Toriel had turned off the light when she left so Frisk slid off the bed, feeling around until they found the lamp and turning it back on. The room was smaller than Frisks was at home, but curiosity drove them to examine every nook and cranny. There was a bookshelf full of books with many big words and few or no pictures (which were promptly ignored), a dresser with old clothes, a toy box bursting with cool toys, and many, many shoes in another tub. Who had lived here before?

Shuffling out the door Frisk explored the hallway, a hand on the wall to support them. Listening, they could hear the crackle and pop of a fire coming from down the hall. Frisk headed that direction, smiling softly as the already familiar sight of the white furred monster seated in a plush reading chair.

* Oh, you are awake! How are you feeling?

She queried, warmth flooding her voice. Frisk made a writing motion with their hand, looking around. Toriel was quiet for a few moments before getting up and bringing them a piece of paper and an ink pen.

Frisk sat at the table, scrawling across the page before handing it back.

* Oh, don't thank me. I couldn't have left something so young and innocent to fend for themselves! What is your name?

Beckoning for the page back they wrote five letters in childish script. Tapping the name, they made a 'O' with their thumb and pointer finger, holding the other three fingers up. After making this with their hand they flicked it down their chest.

* Your name is Frisk? What a lovely name! And... That is how you call yourself? I will remember that.

Toriel mimicked the motion, earning a nod.

* Well, Frisk. Perhaps after lunch you can go play in the garden? There is much to see here.

Frisk grinned, nodding again. This felt oddly familiar and the normality of the monster's house had them sighing in contentment.


	4. Ruler of the Leaf Pile/Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie (second slice)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves." -Earnest Dimnet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've added on a lot since I posted this yesterday, please read!

It had been three days since Frisk had climbed Mt. Ebott and fallen into the Underground, a world of magic and monsters far from home. In that time Toriel, or as Frisk dubbed her 'goat mom', had kept a watchful eye over them as they explored the ruins.

So far Frisk had been impressed by everything they saw, from the way the goat lady cooked with fire magic to the striped blue sweater that was a bit too big she had given to them. Wonder filled the child's eyes as they followed her around the rooms, taking in everything.

By now Frisk was able to traverse most of the puzzles in the ruins without getting too winded, though it was evident enough for Toriel how weak they were physically. She refused to let them wander alone and made sure to teach them how to talk their way out of a situation if one should arise, even going as far as having a very boring conversation with a training dummy for practice.

Not that fighting was an issue. The ruin monsters had taken a liking to the small silent human, much less intimidating then the lady they traveled with, and while some like Froggit or Lux would still pick a playful fight, most would rather watch on (or feed them, like Veggitoid).

  
Frisk tugged on Toriel's dress, moving their right hand down their chest to sign that they were hungry. A soft smile graced Tori's face as she pet Frisk's head, nodding.

* As you should be, it's nearly time for dinner! Let us return home.

Toriel led the way down a new hallway, stopping once they reached a very... very long hall. This wasn't the way back home-

* I want to ask something of you, innocent one. I want you to walk to the end of this room by yourself.

Frisk gave her a questioning glance. That isn't anything difficult-

Frisk threw up an arm, backing away as Toriel took a few steps forward before disappearing in a rush of magical flame. Where had she gone?

Her words indicated that she had gone to the next room. Unsure if they even had a choice, Frisk started out down the length of the hall. It was eerily quiet, the only company some patches of ivy growing on the wall.

By the end Frisk was breathing heavily- leaning against a lone pillar they slid to the ground, trying in vain to bring air into their lungs.

Luckily they didn't have to struggle long before Toriel was peeking around the pillar and crouching beside them, helping them take deep breaths and waiting until they could breath evenly again.

* I'm sorry for doing that to you, Frisk. If I had known- ... no, I had to do this. It was to test your independence.

She ran a paw through Frisk's hair, holding them against her before pulling back.

* There are a few errands I need to run. I want you to wait here until I return. Will you do that?

Frisk reached up and cupped Toriel's cheek. She turned to them with a look of mild surprise. Frisk smiled, giving her a reassuring pat on the cheek. The goat lady sighed, standing.

*I promise not to be long. Here, I've got something for you.

The goat lady put a small black cellphone in their outstretched hand. Frisk stared at it, tracing the grooves and edges on the number pad.

* It's a cell phone. There is a way to send me a message if need be. Perhaps you could still use it, in case of emergency.

Toriel seemed flustered but Frisk shook their head, thanking her with excitement. Having not been allowed to own a phone, this was a step up. Immediately they began mashing buttons, trying to figure it out.

Shortly afterwards Toriel left the room, leaving them to their own devices. Frisk watched her go, intending to wait for her return, but it was difficult. It took all of 10 minutes before they had their new phone figured out and were bored out of their minds, seeing as there was absolutely nothing to do in this hall exceot walk around the pillar. Eventually growing tired of staring at the ivy covered walls they rose and walked through the doorway. They had barely crossed the threshold and already the phone in their pocket was ringing. Pulling it out they pressed the 'open' button to see that a number had sent them a message.

*My child, You have not left the room, have you? My errands are taking a little longer than I thought they would. Please be patient.

Oh, it was goat mom. A pang of guilt shot through the child but it was brief. Surely she'd understand their bordom. Shrugging, Frisk turned to the room on the left, stopping when they saw the pedestal in the center. On top of it was a huge bowl of candy. It was physically and mentally impossible for a ten year old child to ignore that much sugary goodness just sitting there. Shuffling over, Frisk stood on tiptoes and reached into the pile, taking out one piece of candy.

....Two pieces.

........Three pieces.

They had reached up for a fourth piece when they tripped and stumbled into the pedestal, knocking it over in their haste. Looking back as they dashed from the room, they could feel their sins crawling on their back. What a horrible child.

That didn't stop Frisk from unwrapping a piece of candy and eating it as they wandered to the next room. This one had a little more to look at besides walls. Some monster, presumably Toriel, had raked together a huge leaf pile that was begging to be played in. Farther in were some rocks to climb, a fallen pillar, and another patch of flowers. A mighty kingdom to rule, in Frisk's opinion.

A low _ribbit, robbit_ sounded from their left. Turning they saw a Froggit hop towards them. Frisk raised their hand in greeting, the Froggit simply hopping onto the fallen pillar.

 

* Ribbit. Ribbit.

  (Hello, fair human child. My friends say you are quite merciful for a human. Always remember to show MERCY if a monster does not want to fight.)

* Robbit

  (That being said... I saw the way you look around this room. I'll have you know that the leaf pile is mine and mine alone to rule!)

 

There was a note of humor in the monster's voice. Frisk's eyes lit up and they picked up a nearby stick, wielding it as if it were a staff, ready to duel with the monster for dominance. To flee was not an option! Froggit croaked as it jumped towards the child, magic sparking as an army of flies came to life out of thin air, ready to fight against them.

\---

Frisk lay in the leaf pile, exhausted but no longer bored. After the fight Froggit had left the room to 'find a new kingdom', leaving them alone once more. When they finally caught their breath, getting back home sounded like an excellent idea. That they were supposed to be waiting for Toriel had completely slipped their mind, but she hadn't messaged in a long time except to ask if Frisk liked cinnamon or butterscotch better (the answer was cinnamon) and once more to ask about allergies. ...To which Frisk had sent an extensive list.

\---

The ruin's layout was fairly simple overall and it didn't take them long before the huge blackened tree by the house came into sight. Suddenly a familiar form in a white dress came striding around the tree, a worried look on her face.

* It has been a while since I've talked to the human, I do hope they are okay...

Frisk's phone rang. At the sound Toriel whipped her head around, sight coming to rest on the young child who waved at her in return. She rushed towards them, scooping them into her arms. They put their arms around her in return, snuggling against her.

* Oh dear, Frisk! Are you alright? I told you to wait for me, the ruins are dangerous... You're hurt. I will heal you.

Frisk held still as the strange sensation prickled over their skin before warming and dissolving their weariness away. She stood up, taking Frisk by the hand.

* Well, I suppose there's no use hiding it... come along, I have a surprise.

Frisk loved surprises. They reached the house and Frisk gladly followed goat mom inside, taking off their boots. Frisk had just started towards the living room when a delicious smell wafted into the room. A delicious and well known smell. Could it be?

Seeing the way Frisk got excited Toriel chuckled, beckoning them to the kitchen.

* Surprise! I have baked for us a cinnamon butterscotch pie! I wanted to make you feel welcome, so we will hold off on the snail pie for now.

Seeing the pie still baking in the oven, Frisk suddenly remembered how their mom had made the same kind of pie just a few days ago and felt a bitter pang of emotion. How was everyone doing without them? Toriel didn't seem to notice their shift in demeanor. 

Frisk gently tugged on Toriel's sleeve, pointing down the hallway towards the room she'd given to the child.

* Of course! Go get some rest, dear. The pie will not be ready for some time.

Frisk thanked her, walking quickly from the room without a backwards glance. The hallway seemed to stretch forever as they forced themselves to walk, not run into the room, and to shut the door quietly. Not even bothering to change, Frisk curled up under the blankets and faced the walls like they did the first night as the first tears welled in those soft brown eyes and slid down reddened cheeks.

Home didn't sound like such a bad idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you may have noticed, but I haven't set any update schedules for my fic, so just check back frequently to see if a new chapter has been added! 4 chapters in 5 days isn't half bad, if I say so myself. Also, sorry again, this chapter was a little short. I'll make up for it.
> 
> The end of the ruins will be in the next chapter, and the beginning of something new! Let's hope Frisk can handle it.


	5. Heartache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to." -John Ed Pearce
> 
> Alternate chapter title: "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heart broke writing this chapter, but it had to be done. Sorry it took so long to get out- it's probably twice as long as my usual chapters, heh. I have a clear goal of where I'm going, however, so I'll get back to daily updates if at all possible.

Frisk awoke from a fitful slumber to the smell of butterscotch cinnamon pie. Turning over, they could see the source of the delectable smell sitting on the desk. Though it brought up painful memories, Frisk don't intend to let it go to waste. They took a bite... Delicious! The dessert was unlike any sweet they had ever eaten, but by no means was the unusual taste unappealing. If anything it tasted even better than normal. Yet it still reminded them of mom's pies and of how far away home was.

Frisk needed to go back. But how? Even exploring every nook and cranny of the ruins had turned up no ways to get above ground once more. Chewing thoughtfully, an idea occurred. Maybe Toriel would know? The goat lady had many books, so perhaps she knew something about the surface. It was worth the time to ask at least. Taking their plate to the kitchen, Frisk returned to stand innocently in front of the kind monster as she was sitting in her favorite armchair, reading. 

*I take it you enjoyed the pie?

She looked up from her book, smiling tenderly. Frisk nodded and continued to stand there awkwardly, staring into the fire. Toriel went back to her book, but after a moment looked back up.

*Do you need anything dear? Feel free to ask me any questions.

Taking this as a sign to go on, Frisk handed over the notepad. As she read the question scrawled across it her expression darkened. Toriel slowly handed the small booklet back to the human, flipping open the book on her lap. 

*What? This... this IS your home now. Um... would you like to hear about this book I am reading? It is called "72 Uses for Snails". How about it? Here is an exciting fact... did you know that snails... sometimes flip their digestive systems as they mature? Interesting.

Frisk gave her a puzzled look. What...? They weren't sure that book was entirely accurate. Shaking their head, they held the notebook out to the goat woman once more.

She was quiet for a moment. Closing her book, she didn't meet their gaze as she stood and set it back on the shelf, returning and ruffling their hair.

*Please stay here, Frisk. There is something I must take care of.

With that she turned and walked from the room. Frisk, question still unanswered and very confused, followed her to the hallway, hesitating as they watched her head downstairs.

Something was off. Frisk didn't want to go against Toriel's instructions, but for some reason the longer she delayed an answer the more Frisk could feel hope slipping away. Running down the dimly lit stairs beneath the warm house they could just see her form moving slowly down the corridor. Frisk stopped just a few feet short of her, but she did not turn to them as she spoke.

 

* You wish to know how to return home, do you not?

There was a resigned sounding ring to the lady's voice, one that Frisk did not like. The silence was heavy for a few moments, the child shifting from foot to foot and Toriel staring straight ahead. This felt wrong. 

* Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the underground.

* I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. now be a good child and go upstairs.

With that, Toriel set off farther along the darkened corridor. Still trying to process what exactly she meant Frisk felt their feet move of their own accord as they trailed after her uncertainly. As the words registered a layer of panic began to overlay any other emotions from earlier. What did she mean by destroy it? Was the kind monster really going to trap them here? Frisk needed to get home desperately- they could feel it. Yet for some reason Toriel wasn't stopping. Her eyes widened when she noticed Frisk still following and she grit her teeth, quickly facing forward once more.

* Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die. You naive child... if you leave the Ruins...

* They... ASGORE... will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand? Frisk, go to your room.

Tears were forming in Frisk's eyes, spilling out and dripping down to the ground. They closed the distance, tugging hard on Toriel's dress. She flinched, almost as if the act hurt her, but looked down long enough to see the tears on the child's face. For a moment she looked as if she would change her mind, but taking a shaky breath she steeled her resolve and pulled her dress from their small hands.

 

* Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning.

 

Frisk stumbled, shocked as they held nothing but empty air. They had reached the end of the path. Before them was a small room, and on the far side of that, a huge ancient stone door with several curious runes on its face. Here, Toriel finally turned around. Her normally soft features were stern and her paws had trails of light colored magic crawling across them.

* You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this.

* Prove yourself.... prove to me you are strong enough to survive.

Frisk shivered at the note of apprehension in her voice. And then with something more- a paralyzing fear. The same feeling they had felt when fighting Flowey... the one they had felt encountering the monsters of the Ruins... it was resonating within their Soul even now, facing the one who had saved them and nursed them to health. Had given them a "new home". Had loved them.

Small and fragile, their Soul floated gently in front of them.

This couldn't be happening. Frisk was left shaking their head, trying to assess the situation even under emotional turmoil. Fighting wasn't an option- talking wasn't either. Running would mean the only way to get to their real home would be destroyed... but Frisk wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Frisk held up small hands in a nonthreatening gesture. Toriel's expression didn't even waver the slightest as she lifted her paws and hurled the first wave of magic fireballs towards the small red heart floating in midair.

 Medical 'experts' had told their family that with such a frail body, it would be physically impossible to leap and run and climb and basically be a normal child. The doctors had told Frisk's parents that their muscles would be getting weaker and weaker over time- already it was daunting for Frisk to do even mundane tasks like helping with chores around the house, and simply walking had taken more out of them far faster than it had even a few months ago. Even wandering the Ruins had required multiple breaks. The presence of 'magic' had changed nothing... they were still just a sickly human.

Dodging until now had been very taxing- the Soul could only move so far from the body and Frisk still wasn't sure how exactly it worked. But in the heat of the moment, Frisk found themselves scrambling out of the way of Toriel's attacks despite warnings not to exert themselves, barely dodging the barrage of fire-based magic with a look of terror. Toriel refused to meet their eyes. Frisk hadn't moved like that even once since showing up, but when their life was in danger... Guilt assaulted the goat woman, her resolve wavering. Looking across to the far side of the room she watched as Frisk stood, trembling with fear, but refusing to back down. If anything, they looked determined.

Frisk shook their head, hands up once more as they once again forfeited their turn and refused to fight. Toriel seemed taken aback, a look of faint panic crossing her features.

* What are you doing...? Either fight me or run away!

Toriel yelled bluntly, her voice raised for the first time. Again, the fireballs were cast forth- and though Frisk was trying harder than previously, they still couldn't dodge all of the attacks aimed at the small Soul. As the magic found it's mark a searing pain shot through their chest, causing them to drop to their knees, clutching at anything they could grab in silent agony. They didn't want to do this. Why was she making this so difficult? Why was Toriel trying to hurt them? Frisk couldn't understand, clinging weakly to their new found resolve. Drawing strength from somewhere deep inside they were able to stand once more, expression a combination of pain and determination. Again, Frisk shakily refused to fight. The goat lady's expression finally broke into one of guilt and she adverted her gaze as she cast her magic at the human.

The attack was haphazard and Frisk didn't even have to dodge it. They stood there, arms wide open, pleading. 

 

* Stop it.

 

More fire. Frisk took several steps in advance, Soul glowing faintly in front of them. Something told them that Toriel wasn't aiming to kill or even hurt the child on purpose- she just wanted them to stay. 

* Run away!

Frisk continued to walk closer until eventually the white furred monster had to cease fire in their close proximity. She stood breathing heavily, expression pained. The small child wrapped their arms around her and she regretfully returned the gesture, sinking to the ground and holding the small human close.

 

* My child, why are you making this so difficult? Please, Frisk, you could be happy here with me...

 

Frisk, with a sad smile, reached both hands up to cup her face. Wiping away a glistening tear sliding down the monster's soft furred cheek, they gave her a reassuring look. All was still before Toriel chuckled weakly, bowing her head.

 

* Ha ha... pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child...

 

Those selfless crimson eyes that Frisk had come to love were now shining with untold grief and regrets, perhaps from a time long, long ago, but Frisk couldn't know. As if making up her mind, Toriel gave a steadying sigh, attempting a smile.

 

* No, I understand. You would only be unhappy here. My expectations... my loneliness... my fear... For you, my child, I will put them aside.

* I fear that the underground will be too much for you to traverse on your own. Worry not, for I had prepared for this day, if it were to ever arise... If you head east, there shall be someone waiting for you.

Toriel pulled them in for one last hug, whispering softly into their ear. 

 

* Goodbye, my child.

 

And with that Toriel arose, bowed slightly, and turned to go back, leaving Frisk to face the door alone. Unsaid words were left hanging in the air, guidance that could still be used, but Frisk didn't think they had it in them to try and ask. Not now. If they stayed another moment, there would be no getting home. They could feel her eyes on them as they pushed against the giant stone doors, which swung open with surprising ease. 

As the door slid shut behind them, they could have sworn they heard a pained sob.


	6. Baby It's Cold Outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Once you have really hurt someone, it will always be in the back of their mind even if they still have a smile on their face." -Anonymous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked hard on this, it's probably crap

Frisk took a moment to collect themselves, eating the monster candy they had taken earlier. It tasted like a gummy and as they chewed some of their weariness seemed to fade, the ache in their Soul less prominent. Strange. Sadly it didn't heal the aching of their heart and it wasn't long before Frisk decided to press on. Coming to another door they pushed against it's cold surface, blinking against the harsh whiteness that met them on the other side.

Snow. Frisk had seen it before, but it had never been this thick. It drifted down, blanketing the ground as far as the eye could see, not a sign of disturbance in the fresh powder. They let the door fall shut behind them and it closed with a definite boom, echoing into the trees. A trickle of unease caused them to turn away from the open path ahead, standing in the snow for several moments and watching to see if the door would magically open back up. It didn't.

Standing out in the cold wasn't doing them any favors. Frisk took a deep breath before starting off down the path. The snow was coming down harder than earlier and soon Frisk's clothes were soaking wet from snow that had settled and melted.

Wading through the thick layers of powdery snow their movements had become more forced, hot breath fogging the air and head bowed. Frisk burst into a bout of coughing, staggering on the path. They really hoped that there was a town or someplace nearby, but as the desolate forest crept by Frisk became discouraged.

Frisk sneezed, trying to rub warmth back into their body.  
A startled chirrup from the treeline caused Frisk to flinch, eyes staring warily at the treeline. Just then, something... a bird? flew out of the forest and off into the black night sky. Frisk was left staring after the unusual looking avian, the forest falling quiet once more as they tried to catch their breath. Frisk started to continue but froze, eyes locked on the creature who had shown up on the path.

Standing knee deep in snow, blue hoodie hanging lazily off his shoulders, was a skeleton. Well, not a skeleton like any they had seen. Frisk was pretty sure skeletons couldn't make expressions, for starters. His eyesockets were wide with shock, the white light in them seemingly focused on the child, his mouth turned down into a frown.

Neither of them moved for several long moments, aside from the occasional shiver. At last he smiled and shrugged, his eyes darkening to black before he spoke.

* heh, i thought you had already died, kid.

Frisk was filled with dread. Why would this monster say something like that? They had never met, but the tone of his voice suggested he knew something about Frisk that they didn't even know themselves. Fear had rooted them in place, their trembling intensifying as the monster closed in.

A few feet was all that separated Frisk from what was undoubtedly going to be bad time when their shaking legs couldn't hold them up anymore. Frisk collapsed in the snow, the exhaustion and fear being too much. The world was still, even the monster with it's bad intentions had stopped beside them, staring at the child curled in the snow.

The rustle of fabric. Frisk felt themselves lifted off the ground into bony arms and pressed against a stiff chest. All sense of time and reality faded briefly before returning as they were propped against a wall on snow-free ground.

* you're scarin' me, kid, 'freezing' up like that. makes my job harder.

Frisk felt something heavy and warm wrap around them, fuzz tickling their nose. They dared to open their eyes, taking in their surroundings with surprise. They seemed to be in some kind of stand- bottles of condiments sat on the shelf and discarded napkins lay here and there. A concession stand maybe?

Leaning against the wall beside Frisk was the skeleton, now in a white shirt and black shorts, arms crossed over his chest which shifted as if he was breathing. Could skeletons do that? Frisk nestled into the warm fabric, coughing. It dawned on them that the monster, despite scaring the daylight out of them minutes ago had given them his jacket. Looking over at their neighbor Frisk was slightly surprised to find him staring intently.

* you're a human, right? that's hilarious. sorry about earlier. i was expecting to run into someone else, but they must have gotten 'cold feet' and stayed home. that's 'cool', i guess.

A small smile graced their lips as they watched the skeleton shyly. He seemed to be encouraged by this, still watching Frisk with a curious expression.

* now that i've 'broken the ice', i should really introduce myself. the name's sans. sans the skeleton.

Frisk's smile widened even more at the bad puns, sitting there before realizing he was waiting for their name. They could only sigh and shake their head, unable to reply. Not like a monster would know ASL anyway.

* cat got your tongue, eh? that's fine, we don't have much to talk about anyway.

The blunt response wasn't quite expected, but Frisk didn't have the time to worry about it. Just then a loud voice sounded from somewhere past the wooden stand, followed by the crunching of snow.

* SANS! WHY ARE YOU NOT AT YOUR STATION?

Sans grabbed Frisk by the arm, jerking them to their feet. A look of alarm crossed their face, muscles protesting and legs almost giving out. The skeleton seemed surprised, instinctively reaching out to steady the child.

* you okay kid? ...never mind. put the jacket on and follow me.

Frisk did as instructed. The blue hoodie completely dwarfed them as they slipped it on and it smelled faintly of ketchup, but it was warm and insulated against the cold. Not to mention it had a thick fur collar to protect their face against the bitter wind. Snuggling into it they looked more content then they'd been since leaving the ruins, eyes sparkling. Sans took them by the arm with a little more care, heading out from behind the wooden stand to stop on the path.  
  
* my bro papyrus is kind of a human-hunting fanatic. he's never seen a human before, it'd really make him happy. but don't worry, he won't hurt you... as you probably know.

Frisk actually didn't know but just as they were about to protest this a tall figure came into view. It appeared to be another skeleton monster, though far different in appearance than the one beside them. This one was wearing some kind of armor and had a red cape on and looked more comical than threatening, but after Sans initial greeting they were fearful.

Sans managed to give the child a questioning look when he felt them trembling.

* i gave ya my best jacket, ya can't still be cold? or is is about my bro? don't worry kid. he's not that scary-

* SANS! WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?

Papyrus's voice rang out across the clearing, irritation evident in his tone. The shorter skeleton only shrugged, putting a hand on Frisks' head.

* no one. just my jacket. wanna talk to it?

The question was stated so smoothly it would have almost seemed like a normal thing to say.. until you thought about it. Which Papyrus did. Instead of questioning why the jacket was clinging to his brother in fear, however, he stomped his foot on the ground, addressing a much more important issue.

* NO, I DO NOT WANT TO TALK TO YOUR JACKET!! I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU HAVEN'T. RE-CALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES! YOU LAZY BONES! IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS!

* see, i was going to, but my jacket really wanted to go to Grillby's so we were going to head there first.

Frisk was confused as to what was going on, but no way would they question it. They listened to the brothers banter with a slowly growing grin, until they were shaking weakly in silent mirth.

* YOU'RE JUST LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO SLACK OFF! WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED IN CASE A HUMAN COMES THROUGH, SO THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE THE ONE TO CAPTURE IT! UNDYNE WILL BE SO PROUD OF ME SHE'LL HAVE TO LET ME JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!

* i agree completely. but i'll have you know... i've gotten a ton of work today.

* a skele-TON.

...Papyrus was silent as he glared at the grinning monster in front of him. He seemed to be especially proud of the way that the pun made his brother cringe- maybe it was one Sans used often. Turning his back to the two Papyrus called over his shoulder.

* ...AS LONG AS YOU MAKE SURE TO RECALIBRATE YOUR PUZZLES BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY!! AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE... "BACKBONE" INTO IT! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!

And with that, he was gone. Sans waited a few moments before taking Frisks' hand and leading them back to the sentry station. He was quiet as they went, thoughtful.

* now, i've been thinking... a kid like you won't make it long out here by yourself. there's something i gotta check on, but you go on ahead once you're rested. i'll meet you up ahead and take you to town, how'sat sound?

Frisk nodded. That sounded like an amazing idea- though the prospect of waiting out in the cold any longer was daunting. However, if Sans was true to his word, they were determined to handle themselves long enough for him to get back. Frisk held out their pinky finger, staring into what passed for eyes on the stocky skeleton.

Sans sighed, sticking out his pinky finger and looping it around Frisks'.

* i hate making promises, but i'll do it for you, kid. now don't go dying until i come back, alright? it'd really 'kill' the mood.

And with that final dark joke, Sans left, leaving Frisk huddled under the stand alone.


	7. Who Knew We'd Make It Here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Some people come into your life and you just know you will never be able to replace them if they left."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/7/16, 8 PM: Oh my God it's finally done
> 
> Honestly I really wasn't feeling this chapter at first and didn't know where to go with it, but after some major revisions I've gotten back on track and really love how it came out!  
> *Communication has finally been established- I had a lot of fun writing this one~

Frisk could only bear to wait a short time under the protected roof of the sentry stand. Warmed up by the thick blue hoodie, the urge to explore was growing stronger as they rested, looking out at the snowy path. They wanted Sans to come back so they didn't have to go alone, but as the minutes ticked by it seemed he wouldn't return for some time.

Frisk decided to trust that he would stick to his word and meet them ahead. Finally deciding to press on they left the protection of the sentry station and braced themselves against the wind, looking back once more before continuing along the path, following the footprints the taller skeleton had left earlier.

The wind picked up as time passed, blowing snow around and tugging on Frisks' borrowed jacket. Shivering they searched for temporary shelter, but there didn't seem to be anywhere else to take cover aside from the dense, dark looking forest on either side of the path, and Frisk didn't want to get lost- it was far safer to follow the road where nothing could surprise them.

* OH MY GOD SANS, ARE YOU SLACKING OFF AGAIN??

They took that back. Frisk started, turning to face the source of the obnoxiously loud voice. It was the tall skeleton from earlier- Papyrus, if they remembered right. But who was he talking to? They looked around, puzzled. Then they remembered that they were wearing Sans hoodie. The skeleton had probably mistaken Frisk for his brother and was ready to rebuke him for ignoring his job not once but twice in the same day.

* right here, bro.

Papyrus nearly jumped out of his armor, skull whipping around at the sudden voice. Sans had walked up behind him, wearing a different jacket, this one white with a fur trimmed hood. Papyrus seemed confused, looking from the child in the skeletons' hoodie to what was definitely his brother right beside him. Realization dawned across his face. He pointed a gloved hand toward Frisk, who flinched slightly, before yelling at the short skeleton beside him.

* SANS!! OH MY GOD!! IS THAT... A HUMAN!?!?!??!!?

Sans followed the direction of his glove, mulling it over thoughtfully before finally shaking his head.

* uh, i think that's a rock. hey, what's that in front of the rock?

A heartbeat as Papyrus locked eyes with the human. They waved shyly. Papyrus dropped his voice conspicuously.

* OH MY GOD. (IS...IS THAT A HUMAN)

*  (yes)

* SANS! I FINALLY DID IT! UNDYNE WILL... I'M GONNA...I'LL BE SO... POPULAR!!! POPULAR!!! POPULAR!!!

The skeletons' excitement was infectious- his cheesy grin seemed even wider than before and he just couldn't keep still. Frisk didn't realize exactly how big a deal this was for him, but they were kind of glad that it was making Papyrus so happy. They couldn't help but laugh. The quirky brothers were a sight to behold, something about them was also really relaxing. Up until now every encounter with someone new had been overly stressful, but this one was quickly becoming something Frisk could get used to.

Unfortunately It didn't take long for the silent laughter to become violent coughing, knees buckling with the force of the fit. Papyrus stopped 'NYEH!'ing abruptly, puzzled. Hurrying over with Sans in tow Papyrus put a steadying hand on the childs back. He watched them with a look of concern on his skull, the corners of his mouth turning down the slightest in concentration. 

* HUMAN, THIS WILL NOT DO. YOU ARE IN NO STATE TO BE CAPTURED BY I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!

Sans snorted, but otherwise remained silent. _Well gee, what gave him that impression?_ The shorter skeleton stood off to the side, seemingly disinterested, though he kept flickering his hard gaze towards Frisk. The coughing finally ceased and they had stilled, trying to catch their breath. Meanwhile Papyrus seemed to be giving a lot of thought to something, his arms crossed and one gloved hand under his chin. He turned to Frisk, his mind seemingly made up.

* I WILL HAVE TO PUT YOU THROUGH A SERIES OF PUZZLES. IF, YOU CAN SOMEHOW SURVIVE ALL OF ME AND MY BROTHERS' PUZZLES, FOR EACH REQUIRES CUNNING AND MENTAL FINESSE LIKE NONE HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MIGHT SPARE YOU! HOWEVER! IF YOU CANNOT, YOU MUST AGREE TO COME PEACEFULLY AND QUIETLY SO I CAN DELIVER YOU TO THE CAPITAL. IS THAT CLEAR?

Puzzles? This skeleton had mentioned them before, when he was yelling at Sans. It sounded like fun, honestly, and Frisk eventually found themselves nodding in agreement to his conditions. Papyrus seemed overjoyed, his eyes lighting up before he regained composure with a cough.

* AHEM. SINCE YOU HAVE AGREED, HUMAN, I SHALL BE SEEING YOU FARTHER AHEAD! DO NOT KEEP ME WAITING! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!

And with that, Papyrus was off, presumably to make sure his puzzles were set up properly and to await the child. Frisk was picking at the fur of their hoodie, a nervous look on their face. Sans gave them a hearty pat on the back, making Frisk stumble.

* well, that went well. don't sweat it kid, i'll keep an eyesocket out for ya.

Frisk looked up at him with a trusting smile, nodding thankfully. They took Sans by the hand and pulled him along; he obliged, following with an easy stride. What's the worst that could go wrong? A lot, that's what, but as he followed Frisk he found himself deciding that it didn't really matter. Frisk pulled him towards what he recognized to be the outpost his brother had put together by himself- it looked for all the world to be made from cardboard boxes. They stopped in front of it, trying to read the scrawl across the front. Sans wasn't sure if the kid even knew how to speak, let alone read. He nudged their shoulder.

* you want me to read that for ya? don't keep your feelings 'boxed' in.

Frisk was grinning as they followed their finger beneath the letters, shaking their head before straightening up, reaching into a pocket. In their hand was a broken green crayon and a small notepad which they promptly flipped open to the next clear page, writing in haphazard, deliberate letters. 

* _('I  no how too read and i sign language. do you?')_

Sans scanned over the message, giving a slight chuckle. Spelling wasn't their forte, but the message was gotten across. He ruffled the kids' hair slightly, earning another big smile as Frisk tried to push his bony phalanges away. They continued to stare at Sans until he finally gave a careless shrug.

* my brother paps is a bit more fluent than i am, but yeah, you could say i 'sign language' pretty well. 

Sans could see the joy this simple fact brought practically change everything about Frisk. There was a language barrier that few tried to cross with Frisk, and more often than not it left Frisk feeling lonely and ignored. Not many people bothered to try and understand whatever Frisk was signing in response to them, instead ignoring the child and looking for their parents. People rarely realized how incredibly rude it was to do that, but the child never had the time to tell them.

Frisk wasn't going to question how Sans or his brother knew sign language. No, the first thing they were going to do was formally introduce themselves. Sans' eyes locked on the humans hands as they moved quickly, his expression curious. 

* Frisk, huh? that's a nice name, kid.

By this point they were practically glowing, relief flooding their young features. Sans chuckled when Frisk explained how it was amazing that he knew sign and he felt a twinge of pride. He scratched his skull slightly, a light blue blush dusting his cheekbones. It really wasn't that impressive... Frisk tapped his shoulder, a question in their eyes.

* name sign? yeah, i got one. take an 's' and move like this- if you do it like this, it also says 'joke'.

Frisk copied the motion curiously, nodding. They liked that. There were so many questions that they wanted to ask Sans, but somehow now didn't seem like the time. Sans promised a trip into town, there would be more time there. If only Frisk could keep their questions in for that long because first, there were some puzzles that needed doing. A look of determination flashed in their eyes as they tugged on Sans hand, motioning forward. 

* what, you ready to tackle me and my bro's puzzles? alright, but i don't really like being pulled along, may need a push in the right direction.

Sans turned around, starting to walk back the way they came. Bewildered by the fact that the skeleton was now wandering aimlessly to the left and right Frisk ran up behind him, pushing him around until he was going in the right direction. Frisk's breathing became a little rougher but you could hear the grin through each breath of exertion, a joyful light in their eyes. Sans let them push him around, amused. Despite earlier misgivings, he found himself warming up to Frisk. There was always a chance the kid was playing him like a drum, but as he watched the happiness in their eyes he realized he was at the point where he doubted it. 

Though, even as cute as Frisk was, Papyrus came first. Sans would just have to keep a good eye on them and judge how the acted once the going got tough. Then he would decide what to do with them, even if ultimately it might not matter.

* heh heh heh, don't strain yourself, kid. i think you've got me going on the right path. now, let's find my cool brother.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter shouldn't take more than a couple days to get out. I wanted to keep up the daily chapters, but I'd rather give quality than quantity, so please be patient! : )
> 
> (Oh no, I sound like goat mom)


	8. The Exhilaration of Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Love is weakest when there is more than trust, but Love is strongest when we learn to trust inspite the doubts."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, longer than I planned, hope it's okay o~o. Finally, Frisk's sickness starts to show itself. I'll never come out and say what it is, but as long as I know the story can keep going ;)
> 
> Oh, one other thing. I don't know how many have noticed, but I keep inserting references to other parts of the game into my story... see if you can piece it together! If not, it'll be explained in a chapter or two anyway.

 

  
Snowdin, as the snowy forest they were in was apparently named, was turning out to be a lot of fun. Frisk walked merrily ahead, flicking snow off of bushes and nodding their head to some catchy beat. Sans trailed after the child, a relaxed expression on his skull. Occasionally he'd watch as Frisk paused after a skip or a short jog, catching their breath long after Sans had teased them and sauntered lazily past.

* wow kid, and papyrus calls me lazybones.

 _'It's not my fault!'_ Frisk signed angrily.

Frisk puffed out a breath of annoyance, struggling to catch up. If they could just, not be sick, they would. But things didn't just work like that, even underground. Besides, this was normally checkup day, something Frisk hadn't been allowed to miss even once. They had always seemed like pointless wastes of time, sitting in the pediatricians office waiting with other kids for their turn. Sometimes they got a shot. It was never fun. But now they were wondering if this check up was the one where Dr.Faux was supposed to prescribe that new test medicine for pain? Frisk hoped not, because they were missing it.

Frisk tried to pay attention to their surroundings. The trees had started to thin out on either side of the road, giving way to beautiful white slopes. A few gryftrot raced by, followed by one who's antlers were decorated with annoying bell and ribbons. It seemed stressed and Frisk wished they could help, but they kept going, heading in the general direction which Papyrus has fled. Finally they saw him standing on the far side of a clearing, tossing an orb into the air over and over.

Sans whistled, catching his attention and nearly making him drop it. Recovering he waved a skeletal arm excitedly, urging them over.

* HUMAN, YOU MUST HAVE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME WITH MY BROTHER ALREADY. I'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG MY BONES STARTED TO GROW MOSS! THOUGH NOT SERIOUSLY, OF COURSE, IT WOULD TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN THIRTY TWO AND A HALF MINUTES.

* i dunno bro, I feel like we got here in a 'timely' manner. All the 'signs' point to you just being early.

Papyrus was struggling with some repressed emotion as they came over, glaring at his brother. Abruptly turning with a "NYEH!" he raced around a cleared patch in the fresh powder. There was only a thin layer of snow over the brittle grass beneath. Sans gave Frisk a pat on the shoulder, whispering something into their ear before sauntering over to where Papyrus was standing triumphantly.

* LET'S SEE YOU GET PAST THIS INVISIBLE ELECTRICITY MAZE! NYEH HEH HEH! TOUCH THE WALLS OF THE MAZE FOR A 'SHOCKING' SURPRISE FROM THIS ORB!

Frisk cast their unsure gaze on the shorter skeleton who was watching his brother with amusement. Feeling their gaze he made eye contact and gave a quick thumbs up. This encouraged Frisk enough that they actually started forward, gulping nervously. As they did however Papyrus cried out, twitching as the orb in his hands shocked him.

* OWWIE!!

The monster exclaimed, head buzzing. Sans had been chuckling too hard to ask if his brother was alright, instead trying to stem his laughter. It got funnier each time. He finally gave his hip a nudge, seeing as he didn't come up much higher on the taller of the two, speaking once he had calmed down enough.

* i think the human is supposed to hold the orb.

* ....OH.

Papyrus, instead of running around the maze, ran straight through it, turning in several places. He slid to a stop in front of the human, launching the orb in the air before darting back the way he came. Frisk reached up, dancing to the left and right as the orb fell, making sure to catch it. Frisk fumbled the object a few times, bouncing off their finger tips to sink into the snow. Frisk nervously picking it up, feeling bad. At least it wasn't broken.

But how were they supposed to get through an invisible maze? Frisk started to panic,making it difficult to think, especially after looking to Sans for more reassurance and finding none. The light had died down in his eyes to barely flicker, his expression aloof and disinterested.

Feeling a little crestfallen they observed the maze, staring at the large boot prints left behind in the snow... that was it! Papyrus had gone through the maze with the orb and not gotten shocked, so if they just stuck to the path he took it should be fine. Taking a deep breath the child stepped in the disrupted snow, determined. All the way across they felt the eyes of both brothers on them, but they kept their head down. Finally Frisk stepped out on the other side wearing a nervous grin. _'tadaa?'_

Sans was applauding while Papyrus nodded thoughtfully, trying to remain composed. He had assumed the maze would be the last stop for the child, but they cleared it with ease. At first Papyrus thought the human might be sick, seeing how they had been coughing and shivering earlier, but after this performance they were clearly alright. It gave him a spark of excitement.

* IMPRESSIVE! YOU MADE IT THROUGH MY MAZE WITH NO TROUBLE AT ALL... HOWEVER! THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST OF SEVERAL, EACH ONE HARDER THAN THE LAST! I WILL CAPTURE YOU, HUMAN, EVEN AS SKILLED AS YOU ARE. THAT IS GUARANTEED!

Despite his warning, Papyrus seemed overjoyed and he knelled down to give the child a high five before running off again. Frisk was left alone with the stocky skeleton in the white hoodie once more, feeling warm. Sans, likewise, was wearing a casual smile and was seemingly satisfied about something. Beckoning to the child he started down the hill into a more forested area, feet crunching loudly in the snow.

* isn't my brother cool? heh. i guess i should thank you, kid. papyrus hasn't been this happy in a long time.

Frisk's smile turned shy, face flushing red at the praise as they ran ahead. Or was it the cold? Probably both. There wasn't much time to think about it, as a snowball came flying from behind them, hitting them square in the back. It was pretty compact for how fluffy the snow had been and stung like crazy. Frisk turned to give their assailant a hurt look, signing quickly _'what was that for??'_ Sans didn't answer, instead scooping up another handful of snow and lobbing it at them. It hit their arm hard, and Frisk wanted to cry, but Sans was asking for a fight. And he'd get one.

Scooping up their own pitiful ball of powder, the ice chilling the human's hands on contact, Frisk hurled it at Sans, who dodged easily.

* what, you actually think i'm just going to stand there and take it?

Well... yeah. At least they had hoped he would, but with him dodging every snowball they tossed and pelting them with his own hard-packed snow it didn't seem likely.  The battle was definitely not going in their favor and soon Frisk was panting from exertion, raising both hands in defeat. Sans approached, juggling a snowball. He raised it high as a look of alarm flashed across Frisk's face. 

* geeeeeeeettttt dunked on!

Sans attacked.

...The snowball splattered harmlessly next to the child and Frisk heaved a sigh of relief, heart still racing. Sans watched them, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

* no need to get so worked up. unless, you've got a fear of snowball fights against skeletons who are the best at dunking? 

Frisk stayed quiet, biting their lip as they got up, brushing snow off their hoodie and pulling the hood down farther. That wasn't it at all, yet Frisk couldn't tell him the real reason, that they were sick... They didn't want Sans to think they were weak. Gritting their teeth they ran ahead despite protests from their body, stopping at a small bridge. They still didn't know why he had done that. Not looking back at Sans Frisk waved frantically, getting the attention of the monster on the other side. 

* OH... YOU'RE HERE SOONER THAN I EXPECTED. HUMAN! CAST YOUR GAZE HERE UPON A PUZZLE CRAFTED BY THE GREAT DR.ALPHYS! NYEH HEH! THE RULES ARE SIMPLE...

\- - - 

The rest of the day (or night, Frisk wasn't sure with it being dark) went by quickly. They say time flies when you're having fun- and so far it'd been a blast figuring out Papyrus's puzzles. Sans had been tailing the child as they completed each puzzle and occasionally offering advice, thankfully without looking like he wanted to hurt them again. Sans also updated Frisk on how close to being out of the forest they were. With the promise of a town and food and rest so close, Frisk pressed on hand in hand with their guide who didn't seem to mind holdin the small cold hand.

* you've hung in there kid, 'snow' doubt you're pretty tough. 'ice' job, but ya look 'bone' tired. not too much longer, don't worry.

Frisk wasn't worried- trusting in Sans had proven to be a good idea. He had gotten them this far, at least. No, Frisk wasn't worried... at least until their breath started getting short and the world darkened. Frisk let go of his hand. Sans glanced back briefly but swaggered to the top of the slope and stared towards the bridge in the distance. He was about to tell Frisk about what Papyrus may have set up when he heard a pained gasp. Swiftly turning he saw Frisk drop onto their knees and slowly doubled over, clutching at their chest as tears started forming in their eyes.

Something was definitely wrong. But still Sans stood there for several seconds, watching. Finally he spoke, not having yet moved.

* i t   w o u l d   b e   e a s i e r   t o   l e t  y o u   d i e   n o w   a n d   w a i t   u n t i l   s o m e o n e   c a m e   a l o n g   t h a t   f o l l o w e d   t h e   r u l e s.

The chilling words hung in the air for several moments, the silence thick. It was eventually broken by a rattling intake of breath, which seemed to shake Sans from whatever mindset he was in. Dropping beside them he made them sit up and try to breathe, watching as Frisk complied, tears streaming down their cheeks. It took a few minutes, but whatever had caused the pain in their chest slowly faded, progress marked by slowly steadying breaths. 

Frisk tried to tell Sans what was wrong, that it wasn't a heart attack or anything scary like that, but their hands wouldn't cooperate. Wordlessly he lifted the child in his arms, walking out of sight to any passing monster. They'd like to say that something important happened then, but as they cried softly against the skeleton's jacket the world slowly went quite and Frisk closed their eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I keep forgetting- follow me on tumblr if you feel like it. I draw things sometimes. I want to draw art for this... But is it considered vain to draw art for your own story? >n>'
> 
> Skymoreon.tumblr.com


	9. Cinnamon Bunnies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "They say that abandonment is a wound that never heals. I say only that an abandoned child never forgets." -Mario Balotelli

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'msuchahorriblepersongosh, posting 3 whole days later than I had wanted to post it and I didn't even get everything in *crumples to the floor* Here, art, to make up for it: http://skymoreon.tumblr.com/post/137188904482/terminally-ill-frisk-being-serenaded-by-sans
> 
> Back to updates every 3 days I promise, there was just a lot going on! :P

  
Frisk began to stir in their own bed, curling into the soft sheets and breathing deeply. _Ahh_ , how good it felt to be home from the hospital. This last stay had been longer than usual and very cold. The nurse was really nice at least, and had made a pie....

* **SNOOOOOORE**

Frisk's eyes fluttered open in alarm as they struggled to sit up, rubbing their eyes. What had made that sound? The rumbling shook the thin walls, making Frisk question how they had fallen asleep in the first place. It was quite for a moment. Much to Frisk's dismay it happened again, even louder than before. What kind of person or monster was asleep in the room next door..? Judging from the racket, Frisk didn't want to find out.

They slid off the bed, steadying themselves as they stretched their arms up, yawning. A light pang shot across their chest, causing them to wince and rub the strained muscles. That had been a serious cramp earlier... The details of their attack were a little fuzzy and impossible to bring to memory with such noisy neighbors.

Where was this anyway, an inn? And who had brought them here? Frisk didn't think there had been any place to stay in Snowdin Forest, at least in the area that Sans had taken them through. The thought crossed their mind that this actually might be somewhere in the town and a wave of relief flooded their system. Finally.

Briefly examining the sparsely furnished room Frisk saw the borrowed hoodie laying bunched up on a chair, the sleeves dragging the floor. It was warm in the building but Frisk slid it on anyway, seeing as how by this point they didn't plan to stay and it was no doubt freezing outside. Frisk would have loved to sleep and wait, but it was far too noisy. The stocky skeleton who Frisk had come to trust might show up soon, but they could at least wait in the lobby where it was no doubt quieter.

After fixing the bed Frisk headed out, closing the door behind them with a soft click. Looking around it seemed no one else was in the hallway, but there were several doors lining it, one which had a 'do not disturb' sign hanging from the door handle. The walls rattled once more and Frisk doubted whoever was in there was getting any sleep either.

They found the stairs and started down at a careful pace, both hands on the rail that was nearly level with their shoulders. _Both a blessing and a curse to be short_ Frisk mused, a thought that had crossed their mind countless times. It made travel difficult, to say the least.

At the bottom of the stairs the area opened up into a single brightly lit room. The inn's lobby looked warm and inviting, from the soft glow of the fire to the petite bunny lady behind the counter. The few other monsters in the lobby had let the topic of discussion fall in favor of eyeing the human with keen interest. There was something almost hostile in their gaze- it was unnerving. Frisk's throat suddenly became dry as they tried to swallow, resulting in a strained cough. 

The innkeeper gave a friendly smile, beckoning Frisk to the counter. Frisk headed over, barely tall enough to look over the edge without standing on tiptoe. The monster set a small pouch in front of Frisk, nudging it towards them. Frisk gave her a confused look, eyes darting to the bag and back. The innkeeper spoke in a cheerful lisp, kindness in her eyes.

* A skeleton rented a room for you and left... you didn't stay long enough for 80G, so would you mind giving him this back? I get the feeling you're going to go meet him.

Frisk nodded and pocketed the pouch, listening to the coins klink in the fabric. Had Sans gotten a room for Frisk? They huffed unhappily, upset that he had done that. Though, paying hadn't really occurred to them in the first place when they set out into the underground, away from the ruins. What currency did monsters even use? How would Frisk get any? While these were pressing questions, being ten, Frisk just couldn't find the attention to worry about it right then. Pushing the door open they waved goodbye to the innkeeper, stepping out.

The air outside was bitingly cold and Frisk tugged the hoodie down further, wrapping their arms around their middle and shivering. Hopefully Sans hadn't gone too far... though, looking around, there were other warm places to visit. The inn was on the edge of a quaint looking town- if it was even big enough to be called that. Monsters of all shapes and sizes were going about their business, though all of them had thick fur on their body or warm clothes to protect against the frigid temperature.

Sans wasn't anywhere to be seen. It was tempting to go wait in the inn, but as they turned to go back in a pang of hunger reminded them that the last meal they had was with Toriel. Luckily, there was a shop next door- they could get out of the cold, at least. Maybe if they asked nice someone might share...

Heading to the shop Frisk pushed the door open, the wind blowing snow in the building as they hastily tried to close it. Once inside the first thing they noticed was a delicious smell, something like freshly baked sweet bread. Maybe this shop hadn't been the best idea to help with hunger, but the smell alone was worth it.

* Welcome, feel free to look around and buy somethin', hun.

The child turned at the voice, giving a shy smile to the woman stocking a shelf. The monster made her way back to the counter to wait on them in case they bought something. Frisk would love to, and they had money... but it belonged to someone else. So instead Frisk opted to look through the glass case at the freshly baked breads. They pointed to a glazed bunny shaped pastry, a question on their face.

* That's a cinnamon bunny, hun. One costs 25G, though for you since you're cute, I'll sell 'em for 15G a piece. How about it sweetie?

Even with the kind discount, buying the treat was still not an option. Frisk sighed, shaking their head reluctantly. The shopkeeper asked if they were sure several times, and still, Frisk had to say no. Tired of the tantalizing smell they had just turned to leave when a familiar sight greeted them, exciting them instantly. There was Sans, complete with hoodie and basketball shorts. Upon seeing Frisk his smile lifted briefly before settling into a more casual look.

* if the discount extends to the kid's escort, ya think ya could part with two cinnamon buns? c'mon, diana, for ol' sansy? 

The skeleton approached the counter lazily and Frisk fell into place beside him, feeling already more comfortable. The shopkeeper, Diana, rolled her eyes but picked up a pair of tongs, grabbing two of the cinnamon bunnies from the case and wrapping each before putting them in a bag.

* 30G, but next time you pay full price you hear? You can't just sweet-talk me out of profit.

Sans gave her the money and took the bag with a 'thanks'; Frisk got the feeling that Sans would be too lazy to sweet-talk anyone out of anything if he had been on his own, but having a human guest changed things up a bit. Sans beckoned for them to follow, holding the door open and heading outside again. Frisk followed reluctantly into the snowy outdoors, nearly slipping down the steps.

* you alright kid? careful. oh, and here, you can have my bun. i don't like them that much anyway.

He pushed the bag into a surprised Frisks' arms, starting off down the road. The child followed, pulling a hastily wrapped piece of bread from the bag and unwrapping it. Even with the freezing temperature the food was staying warm and biting into it brought a surge of energy and contentment straight to their core. They must have made a funny face because Sans chuckled, watching them.

* you never had cinnamon before, kid? man, they don't have much to 'spice' things up on the surface do they. anyway, how ya feeling?

Frisk gave a thumbs up. They had awoken refreshed and had honestly felt better than they had since the fall, like they had more energy. Which was surprising- Frisk normally felt groggier, if anything when normally waking up. Remembering the coins in their pocket they took them out, handing them to the skeleton. Sans shook his head, holding up a skeletal hand.

* it would 'pay' well for you to keep it. may come in handy. 

Another pun. Frisk wondered where he got them from. Did he have a joke book? They wouldn't doubt it, and even as bad as they were Frisk was enjoying every one of them. The two walked along for a while through the middle of town, scattered conversations of other monsters filling in their silence as Frisk ate their meal. Finishing with a content sigh, Sans stopped them again, his expression somewhat more serious than before.

* hey, kid. i wanna talk to you about my bro pap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this one, I might have to revamp it, but the papyrus fight is next chapter! Will Frisk try to take him on?


	10. Odd Sansations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "People ask me why it is so hard to trust people. I ask, why is it so hard to keep a promise?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha it's late again but it's got some more progress to apologize for that last filler chapter ^^'
> 
> This chapter is actually from Sans's perspective! So yeah, never mentioned that I'd do different perspectives but now that I've done it once I plan on having a few~

After finding their way out of the cold and into a cozy little place known as Grillby's, Sans decided that it was question time for the kiddo. They hadn't seemed to show any signs of malice, which made keeping his promise easier. The least he could do is prep them for the fight ahead. Well... if he cared enough to do that.

* kid, my brother has this special attack. you may end up fighting him and he'll probably use it.

It would be so easy to tell Frisk about the blue attacks, to warn them about the upcoming right. But he couldn't. Instead, he finally addressed the thought that had formed in his mind as he had traversed Snowdin with them. Turning to face the human fully he dropped the smile, eyes searching. Frisk tensed up as he did so, wary of the sudden change in atmosphere. The talking in the bar seemed to grow hushed and Grillby, the bartender, moved away. Frisk was the first to break eye contact, and from that simple fact Sans could tell they were hiding something.

* you know, you aren't the kid I expected to walk past that door. you're maybe half that. what's wrong with you?

The child flinched at the harsh words, as if they had been struck. Watching their gaze fall to the floor Sans felt a pang of guilt, an apology on the tip of his tongue. There were more tactful ways to approach this area of concern but even with feelings of regret over his choice of words that apology was tethered down by a growing sense of mistrust.

What if this was all an act? What if the kid was doing this on purpose and was going to kill them all like he theorizes they had done in other timelines? ...He said it was mere theory, but Sans remembered. He remembered very clearly how good the human had been with a knife, in another timeline at least. And it wasn't possible to shake that memory now.

He watched as Frisk slid off the stool and make their way to the door, leaving the skeleton.

Yet he didn't move. He let them go. Sans knew exactly where Frisk was heading- they had only one goal in mind and planned to do it with or without help. But what would they do to achieve it? How far were they willing to go to get home this time? And why hadn't they reset for a stronger body, if the weakness and fainting hadn't been faked?

You could tell something was up just by looking them in the face. But the way they walked, the skinny limbs, the gaunt face, a hidden pain masked by a smile... Sans had to admit, maybe he hasn't killed the human yet because they shared something in common. Or maybe because this one was unique, unlike any human from any other timeline he had been involved in. Or at least he thought so.

Grillby came over and took his plate, snapping San out of his thoughts. He better go after the kid and make sure nothing bad happened. Saying his goodbyes the short skeleton exited the building, heading the opposite direction than which he needed to go. Magic caused his left eye to flash blue briefly as he 'took a shortcut', time rending around him and leaving him temporarily in a void before the world reconstructed itself around him, but different.

Instead of being outside of Grillby's he was on the road leading to Waterfall, a silent, foggy place. If Frisk has decided to go ahead, they would have gone here. The only other person would be Papyrus, but this time Sans wasn't going to leave his brother with the human alone, and if he tried anything... someone was going to have a bad time.

Through the fog he could just make out a figure- from it's size it was definitely Papyrus, all of him. He was whole and alive, but he was holding something that was not doing well. As he drew nearer he could see that it was Frisk that his brother was holding. The child looked even more frail than before, blood smeared across one cheek and eyes shut tight. Sans had known that fighting wasn't going to be good for the kid, not after evaluating their physical condition across the snowy slopes. 

Papyrus's face shone with guilt. When he saw Sans he made a beeline towards him, words tumbling out and over each other.

  
*I-I DID NOT MEAN TO HURT THE HUMAN, T-THEY INSISTED WE FIGHT. I WENT EASY ON THEM, BROTHER, BUT REGARDLESS THEY COLLAPSED...

Sans listened with a sigh. He knew his brother would never hurt anyone, and Papyrus had more control of his magic than he did so it definitely wasn't an accident. Frisk just couldn't keep up with the fast paced battle. Sans's eyes darkened briefly. _If they can't stand a chance against his brother, they'll never make it to the king's castle._ But hey, that wasn't really his concern. All he cared about was Papyrus's well-being. And right now, it was indirectly tied to Frisk.

* c'mon paps, let's go to the innkeeper. she'll know what we can do.

\--

Several hours later Sans found himself sitting in the inn's lobby alone, watching MTT on the inn's provided television. After a stop by their house, him and Papyrus had brought Frisk to the inn with the hopes that Melanie, the monster who ran the inn, would know what to do. Thankfully she did. According to Melanie the child had developed hypothermia, no doubt from wandering Snowdin, and needed immediate attention and most importantly rest. Papyrus begged her to let him help, insisting it was the least he could do. 

Sans fist tightened on his lap. Papyrus had been trying not to show it, but Sans knew he blamed himself for Frisk's condition. He thought back to their earlier conversation, the pain in his brothers' voice still grating on his bones.

_* BROTHER, I HAD NO IDEA HOW FRAIL THE HUMAN WAS - I MEAN I WONDERED, THEY TOOK THEIR TIME ON THE PUZZLES AND SEEMED TO TIRE EASILY, BUT... OH SANS, WHAT HAVE I DONE?_

_* it's not your fault, paps. the kid didn't mention they were sick, neither of us could have known._

_* BUT... BUT I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! YOU USED TO GET SICK LIKE THAT WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS!_  

 

Sans continued to sit in silence, attention focused lazily on whatever Mettaton was doing on his show. He wasn't okay with leaving Papyrus and the human in the same room, but they weren't in there alone. Melanie was still there, and so was her daughter Lyra. Apparently Sans had a 'scary' look on his face however and he had been firmly asked to leave. Several times actually. And here he was.

The door behind the counter opened and Melanie exited the back room, looking a bit miffed but overall pleased. Sans gave her his usual smile and a wave as she padded over, sitting down beside him on the couch.

* how's the kid doing?

He asked with feigned interest. Melanie thought for a moment, straightening out her pleated skirt with a tired sigh.

* I don't know what you and your brother were doing with such a sickly child out in the forest like that, I'm glad you came straight to me. That tells me you aren't as bone-headed as I believed you were. There's a chance they can recover, but they need rest, and I need you to get your brother to stop badgering me and go home!

Sans chuckled, closing his eyes. Despite his misgivings, a part of him was almost relieved. Yet he couldn't find it in him to give up his distrust just yet. Not until Frisk was out of Snowdin and on their way. Melanie got off the couch, beckoning for Sans to follow. He did so lazily, following her into the back to retrieve his brother. Papyrus was reluctant but finally agreed to go home after much persuasion.

They entered their house ten minutes later, Papyrus heading to the kitchen to cook dinner.

For once, Sans wasn't going to Grillby's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Having a clear goal in mind for your story fills you with determination.


	11. The End of One Road, The Beginning of Another

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Courage doesn't mean you don't get afraid. Courage means you don't let fear stop you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gahh I loved writing this, I hope it's alright <3 Not much to say, except that constructive criticism is always welcome, I write this not only for myself now ;)
> 
> * Knowing that people are depending on you for a good tale fills you with Determination.

Late afternoon of the following day, Frisk was finally allowed to leave the inn. They had recovered from their trip through the cold and the albeit strange company they now had put them in high spirits. With Papyrus and sometimes Sans there to translate, Frisk had been able to communicate with the kind monsters and had learned a lot more about the underground, which was vital to their leaving town and traversing the caverns.

According to their history records, humans had driven the monsters underground in ancient times. Since then they've learned to cope, but after humans killed the king's son their king declared war again and any human who was found in the underground would be taken to the castle for their soul. This was concerning, but the monsters of Snowdin didn't seem all that keen on capturing Frisk, not after getting to know the child.

Frisk ended up telling them everything. About their sickness, their family, climbing the mountain, their fall into the ruins, the kind goat lady with pie, meeting Sans and Papyrus, and finally how their body was physically incapable of handling strenuous tasks. Just thinking about those things reminded Frisk that this was going to be a very long journey, one that may not have an end...

* So you really won't stay in Snowdin?

The innkeeper asked. Melanie's normally cheery demeanor was a bit subdued as she stood with the small gathering of monsters. Out of the monsters in town Melanie, Lyra, the monster kid who kept tripping (called MK), Diana the shopkeep, and Papyrus were with her to see Frisk off. The lobby atmosphere was uncharacteristically somber, unsaid words hanging thick in the air.

Frisk nodded from where they sat cross-legged on the floor watching Diana pack a backpack before signing. _'I'd stay if I could, but I need to go home.'_ Papyrus translated, eye sockets expressing his concern. Diana finished packing, putting a fresh cinnamon bunny in the top before latching it shut.

* That should do you, doll. I know you probably won't be back, but if things get rough out there you call Papyrus here and we'll help you the best we can, alright sugar?

Frisk smiled in gratitude, letting her help them put the bag on. It wasn't too heavy to carry since monster food was mostly made of magic and nearly weightless and it fit comfortably on their back. Waving, Frisk went to push the door open but Papyrus reached past, holding it for them. He reached out a gloved hand, looking guilty.

* BE VERY CAREFUL, FRISK. I ALREADY TOLD UNDYNE OF YOUR ARRIVAL... I DON'T WANT TO LIE AND TELL HER YOU ESCAPED, BUT I CAN'T JUST LET MY BEST FRIEND HAVE THEIR SOUL TAKEN AWAY. IF YOU MEET HER, I'M SURE SHE'LL GLADLY TALK IT OUT WITH YOU! NOW BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL OUT THERE!

Papyrus was certainly optimistic, even if his words sent a chill down Frisk's spine. According to the skeleton, Undyne was the head of the royal guard and had been ordered to take the soul of any human who had fallen into the underground. With luck they would never cross paths, and Frisk could go on safely.

Amidst many cries of 'goodbye Frisk!' and 'good luck!' they stepped out into the cold, heading to the east out of town. One thing bugged them- Sans had been absent since the previous night and hadn't shown up to send them off. It just felt... odd, for some reason. The feeling didn't go away as they neared the edge of town, mind nervously focused on the journey ahead. 

* leaving already, kiddo?

Frisk turned around at the voice, their eyes lighting up. Speaking of, there was Sans, standing on his doorstep. Frisk hadn't realized who's house they were passing but regardless changed direction, walking over to him and throwing their arms around his midsection. Sans gave a soft chuckle, patting their head. 

* i know you've got to get home and all, but how about one more stop at grillby's? my treat. we can take a shortcut and save on time.

Sans always did have pretty good timing. Frisk needed to go on, but they weren't ready emotionally and they knew it. Sans seemed to sense this because he guided Frisk away from the house without a reply, instead instructing their eyes to close. As they did a peculiar sensation overcame their senses of being pulled out of time, a white noise blanketing everything. By the time it was over they were standing outside of Grillby's, Sans holding the door open.

* Sansy!

* Heya, Sans. Got some bones for us? (We love bones!)

* Back already, Sans? You were just here not thirty minutes ago!

Loud voices called over the lively clamor of the bar & grill in greeting to the short skeleton, who seemed very much at home. Sitting at the bar like they had once before Sans called Grillby over, looking to Frisk.

* fries or burgers, kid?...two orders of fries, grillbz.

The flaming bartender moved off to prepare the food, leaving the two seated. Sans took out a comb from his pocket and began running it over his skull as if fixing his hair. Frisk giggled silently, earning a slightly more genuine smile from the skeleton. Frisk couldn't figure out why, but something was almost alluring about the monster. It felt like they held a deeper tie with him than the others. It was strange, almost like... well,that was too much thought for a ten year old.

The food was brought out, Grillby bowing slightly before moving away.

* _bone_ appetit.

Sans picked up the bottle of ketchup off the counter, offering it to Frisk. They shook their head- they weren't a fan. He shrugged, popping the lid and chugging the red liquid. Uhm... yes, he drank it, though Frisk wasn't sure where the goopy condiment had gone after that. After all, he was a skeleton.

* hey kid, i wanted to apologize for how i've treated ya so far. you haven't deserved it. like i said, you aren't the kid i was expecting to show up outside those ruins.

Frisk gave him a puzzled look. They still didn't understand what he meant by 'not the kid I expected'. Had he known all of this would happen? Something about his demeanor suggested that he did, but that something had changed. _'Can you tell me what you mean before I go?'_

Sans scratched his chin thoughtfully before shrugging.

* sure, why not? you see, this world has countless copies of it living just outside of our perception. in each one, a different version of us exists. sometimes, a human will fall into one with the power to restart, if things get bad.  one time, the copy of you, kid, treated us monsters real badly and didn't reset for a real long time. i think somethin' made them start over though, since we're here and all.

Sans stopped, watching Frisk carefully for any signs of recognition. His eye sockets widened at the blank look he saw instead, chuckling in amusement. Why had he been so worried before? They were a kid. This Frisk wasn't anything like their past iterations. Maybe, just maybe... 

* heh heh heh. that's what i thought. you needn't worry about it, frisk. you just worry about getting home. 

Sans slid off his stool, Frisk following after him. He called for Grillby to add the meal to his tab, but Frisk was still staring at the skeleton in wonder. Either he knew what he was talking about or they had just befriended the craziest monster in the underground.

Sans seemed to be in a much better mood as he walked with them across the snowy ground however so Frisk wasn't going to ruin it by calling him crazy. They found that they wouldn't mind either option anyway. Following the river out of town, they walked until the snow-covered grass gave way to damp, gritty soil and a rickety looking stand came into sight. Upon closer inspection it seemed to be another one of the skeleton brother's sentry posts, complete with ketchup packets scattered on the ground. Sans shuffled to a stop, making Frisk turn in confusion.

* i'll have to leave ya here. i've got a job to do- paps will get mad at me if i keep slackin' off.

He admitted, dropping his gaze.

They bit their lip. So this was it, huh? After this point, they'd be on their own for the second time in a week. Frisk wasn't used to being alone. Back on the surface, Frisk was never alone- which begged the question how their mom Anna had taken her eyes off of Frisk long enough to let them climb a mountain. _This is all her fault_ , they decide. It's mom's fault that Frisk fell into a cave and made friends with monsters. Yeah, tell that one to the police.

* i forgot to mention, if you hear anything strange outta a echo flower- one of those big, blue ones that sometimes say things- be careful. someone's been sayin' weird stuff to one and messin' with my bro, which is uncool. 

Frisk nodded nervously. After meeting Flowey, they had a healthy respect for plant life in the Underground. Sans gave Frisk a pat on the back, pushing them ahead.

* go on, kid. i'll keep an eyesocket out for ya.

Frisk stumbled forward, glancing back over their shoulders to the skeleton to find he was nowhere to be seen. How he kept doing that, they had no idea. Frisk was alone now. They would have to keep moving. There was always the chance that they would run into this Undyne lady, who apparently lived here, and Frisk would rather avoid that. Steeling themselves they started walking, feet crunching on the gravelly soil. They could do this- they had to. With so many new friends supporting them there was no way they'd lay down and give up, not now.

Soul filling with the familiar feeling, Frisk felt ready to take on the road ahead.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I post on tumblr when a new chapter is out? I want to, but that's only for attention... eheh...


	12. She Wasn't Readyyyy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day, saying 'I will try again tomorrow.'" -Mary Anne Radmacher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12 chapters already... I never thought I'd write anything this long, haha. I'm enjoying it though, and a big thanks to anyone who's been reading it and has left a kudos/comment/bookmark. It's so nice to see something new each time I check it because that means someone somewhere is enjoying it~

Frisk wasn't ready.

The temperature was much less extreme here than it was in Snowdin, which was a huge plus, but in the absence of wind and snow was a humidity to the air that was equally chilling. Thankfully the townsfolk had equipped Frisk with durable fabric to protect against the damp. Frisk sighed, bringing up their knees and resting their arms on them. If only traveling wasn't so exhausting.  

They had paused to rest and reorient themselves shortly after leaving Sans behind, adjusting to the new environment. Waterfall was a whole new territory. Where the town and snowy forest had flat slopes with cliffs and a soaring ceiling far above, the terrain here had turned to mud and stone paths with a low roof speckled with glowing rocks. 

The only reason Frisk had left their walking cane by the front door before leaving for Mt. Ebott was out of spite but they found themselves wishing not for the first time that they had brought it with them. They could use it about now... at least all this walking was making their muscles stronger. That's what they told themselves at least. In all honesty they felt less sure-footed than they had a few days ago, far more prone to stumbling over the slightly uneven and gritty ground.

The cave walls glistened faintly in the low-light and from where Frisk sat they could hear a faint rushing noise of unbridled water flowing freely, somewhere further in the cave-within-a-cave. The only vegetation they had noticed were a large variant of luminescent mushrooms that served to light the path, as well as tall patched of wet grass the texture of seaweed. It made Frisk wonder what kind of monsters lived in the caverns here and served as a topic to occupy their interest while traveling.

Frisk found themselves pondering this as they slowly stood, testing achy muscles. It must have been raining recently, the rain always made their arthritis act up. It would be best to move on. Traipsing ahead, Frisk became engrossed in the intriguing sounds around them. There was no point in wondering what time it was- almost all sense of time passage had been lost days ago, hunger levels the only way they had to make sure time was actually moving.

_klang. clomp. klink. thunk._

_klang?_ Frisk picked up their feet, checking the bottom for anything metallic.

As they stopped the sounds continued to echo around, raising the hair on their neck. Whoever had made the sounds was drawing closer, judging from the growing intensity of the footfalls.

They looked around desperately- the only place to hide was a patch of vegetation. With nowhere else to go, Frisk ducked into the swath of tall dark sea grass. It smelled about the same as seaweed and was enough to make them gag but they focused on breathing, trying to stay quiet.

The metallic steps finally stopped directly above Frisk, causing their breath to catch. They hadn't seen the ridge before, but obviously there was enough room up there for someone to walk around. A second set of footsteps echoed above them and they wanted to cower lower in the grass. One of the monsters above might see them move if they were watching, however, so Frisk remained as still as possible, ignoring the tingling in their legs.

* UNDYNE! I AM HERE TO GIVE YOU MY REPORT!

That was Papyrus speaking, his voice wavering. What was he doing here? He was at the inn last, and Frisk didn't think he'd come this far... unless... 

Had Papyrus come to capture them again? But why? He was intimidating to look at, yes, but right under that was enough kindness for twenty people. He hadn't even wanted to fight Frisk when they met in the fog, but they had insisted. It felt like the only way to get past him. And then, when Frisk was too numb to keep going he and his brother took them to the inn. He almost never left their side, refusing to leave in case Frisk's condition worsened.

Surely Papyrus wasn't going to try and turn them over to Undyne, after everything. 

 * I ENCOUNTERED THE HUMAN IN SNOWDIN. HM? DID I CAPTURE THEM? WELL... I TRIED VERY HARD. I'M SORRY UNDYNE, THEY GOT AWAY...

Frisk thought they heard a muffled response but wasn't sure. 

* Y-YES... ALRIGHT. I'LL CHECK THERE, RIGHT AWAY.

Frisk listened as Papyrus's footsteps retreated, breathing a sigh of relief and shifting their stiff legs. They started pushing their way through the thick grass, eager to get out of the stench when the metallic clanking of armor sounded above the ridge. They had forgotten about Undyne.

Frisk looked up in horror, freezing in place at the sight that greeted them. Half illuminated, perched on the very edge of the drop was a suit of armor with one arm raised. As Frisk watched a crackling filled the air before a magical blue spear materialized in the monsters waiting hand, aimed down into the grass. _This was it. They were going to die._ Yet still, something told them to hold still.

Undyne hadn't seen the human yet. After scanning the patch for several tense moments the spear dissipated and the armored warrior withdrew, turning and clomping away. Was that... really all?  They waited until not even an echo of metallic ringing remained before cautiously exiting the grass, taking in a much needed gulp of air once they were out. Even as stale as it tasted underground, anything was better than that...

A rustling sounded from where they had just been, causing Frisk to jolt and back away in fear. Something yellow practically fell out of the grass, face planting on the ground. Whoever it was didn't even try to catch themselves, Frisk noticed with slight concern before realizing they knew this monster and that they had no arms. MK righted himself as if nothing had happened, closing the distance in a bound.

* Oh mY GOSH did you see the way she was looking at you!? That was so cool!! You're sooo lucky!

Frisk gave him a questioning look, pointing back to the way they had came. _'Why aren't you in town?'_ Luckily MK seemed to know what they were asking and gave a sheepish grin, scuffing his feet.

* Hehehe, I snuck out here to see Undyne, originally, but also because I wanted to make sure you were okay.

The human grinned, giving him a thumbs up. The kid looked relieved, letting out a huff of breath. Frisk couldn't believe that he had come all the way out here just to make sure Frisk was doing okay. MK ran ahead a short ways, jumping and looking back.

* A-anyway, come on! Let's see if we can catch up to Undyne- maybe we'll see her beat up some bad guys!

Frisk didn't like the sound of that, seeing as how Undyne's next target was most likely them. But since the yellow monster was there, they'd stick with him for a while. Frisk walked over to him, giving an apologetic look when he ran ahead again only to find Frisk still walking slowly. Taking out their pen and pad they scribbled the word 'sick' onto the page, showing it to MK when they caught up. He reeled backwards dramatically, nearly falling over again.

* Ahh, sorry about that Frisk. Lyra thought you were still sick, but I tried to tell her you were better. Heh, guess I was wrong. But we'll miss Undyne if we lollygag...!

Frisk could tell he wanted to see the monster in the armor badly, but he restrained himself, walking just ahead of Frisk and looking back often to make sure they were fine. Eventually they had to stop, not because Frisk was tired, but because they had found one of the many waterfalls the place was named for. The water was moving fast, cascading down the cavern's wall and into a pool that dropped off another ledge to the right.  

* Want me to carry you across, Frisk!? Grab on!

MK had to yell over the rushing water. Frisk appreciated his offer but shook their head, declining. They could do this themselves. They looked around, noticing a sturdy looking stick off to the side of the path. Frisk walked over, picking it up out of the weeds. The wood was damp but seemed sturdy enough as the child leaned on it, satisfied. Not their walking cane but it would do. Setting it down for a moment they shrugged off their backpack and set it beside the stick.

They didn't want to get their clothes wet. Without a second thought Frisk peeled off their boots and rolled up their pants as high as they could, stuffing the shoes in their bag. They pointed from the yellow monster to the bag, making eye contact. MK furrowed his brows, taking the bag in his mouth. Obviously Frisk was relying on him to get it across and keep it dry.

* I'll go fhirst, wait phor me bephor you thry to crosth.

He said around the fabric, turning and wading into the stream. Frisk watched him cross from the shore, walking stick in hand.  The water was probably knee deep, possibly deeper in places, but MK made it across with no issues, setting the bag down. He plunged back into the water with a giggle, splashing back across until he stood on the shore with Frisk.

* Alright, put your hand on my back and use th' stick to keep you from slipping! We gotta gooo if we're gonna see her...

Frisk did as they were told, grasping the fabric of his shirt. Stepping into the water elicited a hiss from the human. It was super cold, numbing their feet and legs almost instantly. How could MK cross this thing three times? Frisk didn't want to do it once. Maybe a piggy back across wasn't a bad idea, but it was too late now. He guided them across slowly, making loud complaints about how cold the water was the whole time.

They were almost out when Frisk lost their balance, the stick skidding against the slick stone and being pulled by the undertow enough for Frisk to fall in, bringing MK down with a startled cry.

_splash!_

* Frisk are you okay!? Oh man, mom's gonna kill me for gettin' my clothes wet...

Frisk nodded, giving him an apologetic look. He dragged them out of the water and they both lay on the far shore, shivering. They were both soaked head to toe and the chilly cave air was only making the cold worse. 

* Maybe this wasn't such a good idea... but we can't go back now! Let's keep going.

Frisk nodded, trying to stand but falling and scraping their hands. MK immediately asked if they were alright and they nodded, holding up a finger. _'Rest for now.'_ The monster nodded, sitting back down beside them. It was harder catching their breath now, but the child managed, and after a moment opened up their backpack. They took out the cinnabuns from Diana, giving one to MK and keeping one for themselves.

The air was thick with tension as they ate, minds focused on different things. The food helped restore Frisk's energy greatly, however, they continued to lean against the stone, thinking about what they'd do if they actually ran into the armored monster. Frisk wasn't strong- there was no way they'd even consider fighting them in the first place. Besides... fighting wasn't always the answer. Maybe she'd talk? 

Frisk would worry about that later. Right now, it'd be best to find a way to make MK stop talking for five seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say this time, except I almost had Frisk pull a 'Bear Gryll' and swim across the river naked :V but they didn't ;)


	13. The Prophecy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There is a difference between giving up, and knowing when you have had enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry my hand slipped

* * *

The two children rested half an hour, basking in each other's prescience but shivering from the dampness. Their clothes had yet to dry and were only serving to make things colder. Frisk's fingers and toes were numb, as well as their nose. Even pressed together as they were the warmth was slowly being sapped away.

* W-we should get going.

The monster stuttered as he struggled to his feet. Frisk let out a sigh, leaning their head against the cool wall. MK was right, they had spent enough time here and sitting around wet wasn't going to warm anyone. The child eased themselves up with the cane, taking a deep breath before reaching down for the backpack. As it settled down where it had rested earlier the weight seemed to increase. Ahead of them Monster Kid spun around, bouncing excitedly. 

* I got an idea! Why don't we go visit Mr.Gerson? Y'know, the old tortoise who's always digging around in the caves. We can warm up by his fire.

Frisk cocked their head. They didn't know who this 'Mr.Gerson' was or why he would want to spend so much time in such a damp cold place, but the prospect of warming up spurred their decision to go visit him. Frisk let Kid lead the way. Keeping up was growing increasingly difficult by this point anyway- their joints were stiff from the cold, causing Frisk to limp heavily.

Monster Kid ran along the path, tripping twice and nearly falling into the deep pool of water that hugged the side of the path which was still except for the occasional ripple from a nicked pebble. He ran out onto a short dock, the lack of light in the cave not enough to illuminate the dark expanse of water that stretched out past it. A muffled 'bump' sounded from the waters edge and they realized that something was tied to the dock.

* Look! There's a raft. We could totally take it across to where that lamp is- since you're bad at swimming 'n all.

Falling in the current of the waterfall was hardly countable as 'swimming', but it seemed to be enough to convince MK otherwise. Kid nodded out towards the water and Frisk followed his gaze. It was hard to judge the distance like this but sure enough someone had hung a lantern on the far side of the cavern, the light glowing brightly as if it had just been lit. Frisk gave Kid a doubtful glance. That didn't look safe in the slightest...

The yellow monster had already miraculously untied the raft and was waiting for Frisk to get on. They sighed. What could they do, say no and go back? The fear of possibly encountering Undyne again was unfortunately greater than their fear of the unknown and Frisk found themselves inching towards the bobbing planks on the water.

* I promise it's safe. I've done this at least a kajillion times, now hop on!

Despite MK's insistence it still took another five minutes for Frisk to actually get on the raft. Once they did they were very unhappy with the circumstances and clung to the planks as MK pushed off for the far shore. The makeshift boat was far more rickety than it had initially looked, a few pieces so rotten they had actually broken, but it was enough to do the job. The light on the far side drew closer, giving the human hope.

They drifted across the still water.

The moment they bumped up onto the shore Frisk was out, scrabbling across the sand until solid ground was one again beneath their feet. Frisk had never liked boats, and now they never will. They waited while the monster kid pulled the raft farther onto shore by it's rope, making sure it wouldn't drift away.  Admittedly, it could have been worse. After a moment of respite Frisk stood, brushing the sand off their bum. Monster Kid had just turned away from the water, satisfied with his work.

Looking over at Frisk he seemed like he was going to say something before his eyes moved past them abruptly, surprise in their depths.

* What're you young whippersnappers doin' with that there raft, eh? Tryin' to untie it and cause trouble?

The voice came from behind them. Frisk jumped, scrambling backwards as they tried to face their new guest. At first all Frisk saw was the light from it's lantern bobbing along, but the moment the monster lifted it's stick and therefore the light, they were able to make out it's features.

He was a scraggly old creature with squinty eyes, his skin like weathered stone and filled with more creases and wrinkles than could be counted. He appeared to have a large shell on it's back and his had an explorer's hat on his head. Smacking toothless gums together, he seemed to be assessing the two children, mouth turned in a vague impression of a frown.

* 'O course not, Mr.Gerson sir! Frisk can't swim so we used it get across. Y' don't mind, do you?

Frisk had nearly forgot what the question was, and was glad to let Kid answer. The old tortoise shook his head, a mildly annoyed tone to his voice as he muttered something along the lines of _'yer already done used it, hadn't you?'_ as he shuffled their way. As the light shone on Frisk he stopped, blinking in surprise.

* Well slap me pappy, 's a human! I hasn't seen one'o them in years. Wait... Kid, what're ye doin' w'th a human down here?

Frisk found themselves liking the old monster, even having just met him. He had obviously been around a long time and seen a lot, seeing as that he recognized Frisk for what they were. The tortoise turned his expectant gaze on MK, who shuffled his feet nervously.

* Well, you see, _Frisk_ wanted to see Undyne, even though I told them 'you're crazy! it's dangerous to go out looking for Undyne!' but they wouldn't stay, no. They insisted. So. I'm their guide.

Frisk glared at the yellow monster. It was obvious the old tortoise didn't but it, but Frisk was still upset by the bold lie. MK wouldn't make eye contact, instead pointedly staring at the wall. 

_Achoo!_

The cold was really getting to Frisk. They wiped their nose, sniffling as a shiver ran across their skin. Mr. Gerson looked at the two children, sighing. He beckoned to them, turning around and heading down the path.

* Yer friend there's gonna catch a cold- you both are. Yer soppin' wet! Thought yer friend couldn't swim. Bah, save me yer excuses, c'mon. I gess you kin come get warmed up at my place.

Their expression lit up at the prospect of actually getting warm and dry. Frisk's spirits lifted as they stood weakly, waiting on MK to catch up before following after the tortoise. What luck that they'd find him so soon? Frisk had kind of wondered if Kid knew where he was going, but it didn't matter anymore. They felt like they could trust the old turtle, and hopefully they could.

Away from the water's shore the path narrowed, the ceiling still stretching far above them. Stone and sand gave way to luminescent grass, each blade of the peculiar plant glowing like the special stones illuminating the area.  There were even a few tall trees up ahead, their boughs filled with blue moss that glimmered with light. MK nudged Frisk in a different direction when they had spaced out looking at the trees,  heading off the main path for a few short feet before entering what looked like the entrance to a mine shaft, following along behind the tortoise.

They went off another smaller path which ended in medium sized rounded room. The floors had been smoothed out from years of being walked on and small indentations in the wall had been carved into the rough hewn stone. Various items sat on these shelves, including a notebook, glasses, some shards, and other old trinkets. A collectors gathering.

* Make yerselves comf'table while I get us some tea brewin'. C'mon, get warmed right on up!

Mr.Gerson plodded over to the fire pit, setting a pot over the rack. Frisk stumbled after him, easing down onto a very simple wooden bench by the fire. Monster Kid watched them for a moment, mild concern in his eyes before wandering around the room, absorbed in the miscellaneous artifacts. The old tortoise went about preparing some tea, constantly telling Kid to stop touching things and occasionally giving Frisk a scrutinizing glare.

* So, child. How'd you get 'nto th' underground, eh? ye fall into the ruins? run into the queen? not that toriel's much uf a queen nowadays. boy, she made a mean butterscotch cinnamon pie.

Queen? Was he talking about Toriel? Frisk nodded, listening to the crackle of the fire. The monster's words seemed like a distant echo, somewhat muffled. The feelings of fatigue from earlier were growing as they sat there, arms wrapped around their middle and eyes glazing as they watched the dancing flames. Despite the heat Frisk didn't feel any warmer. Though, sleep sounded like an excellent idea.

They lay down on the bench, letting their eyes ease closed. Ahh, that was nice. If only they could feel some heat. Oh well. Consciousness was slipping from their grasp, and right before everything fell silent they had the fleeting sense that it'd be a while before they woke up.

________

Frisk didn't wake up.

 


	14. Castle in the Skies are Hard to Reach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Starting all over again is not that bad. Because when you restart, you get another change to make things right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe... gotcha ;) I would never kill off the main character mid-story! ...Okay I totally would. I love doing that. But not this one!  
> I haven't mentioned it before but Frisk does indeed have the ability to reload. So in theory, they can't die while in the Underground, even if they get too sick to carry on. Their determination will just take them back to the last save point where Frisk was healthy enough to continue.
> 
> Anywhore without further ado, chapter 14 :v

Frisk awoke with a start, blinking several times. Where... where were they? This wasn't... where they had been. This was the path leading into Waterfall. They sat with their back against the cold stone watching the river gush by, mind clouded. Come to think of it, this wasn't their first time waking with such a strong sense of deja-vu. Once, when they first fell, three times outside of the ruins, and just now.

Frisk stood, using their recently acquired walking stick as a crutch. The stick that they had gotten while in Waterfall.

They gave their head a shake and started off down the path, the gritty soil crunching under their feet as they tread over oddly familiar ground. After a few minutes they became wary. There was a bad feeling in the air as they approached a tall swath of seagrass, nervously stepping into it based on their premonition.

The smell hit them hard, something like rotten vegetation and mold. Eager to leave, they started forward but hesitated. Something about this was familiar.... Seconds later a loud metallic clanging echoed over the ridge above and to their left, causing them to flinch.

_klang. clomp. klink. thunk._

_klang?_ Frisk picked up their feet, checking the bottom for anything metallic.

A second set of footsteps echoed above them and they wanted to cower lower in the grass. One of the monsters above might see them move if they were watching, however, so Frisk remained as still as possible, ignoring the tingling in their legs.

* UNDYNE! I AM HERE TO GIVE YOU MY REPORT!

Papyrus's voice rang out loud and clear, and after a moment there was a response. The two talked briefly before Papyrus left and everything went quiet save for the natural ambiance. Perhaps it was safe to go? Frisk moved forward but immediately caught the attention of the monster still on the ridge- apparently they hadn't left. Frisk froze, staring at the armored figure looming above. After a few tense moments, it withdrew.

Ignoring the bizarre familiarity the situation brought on, Frisk waited shortly before finally exiting the vegetation, breathing in gulps of fresh air once they were out.

* Oh mY GOSH did you see the way she was looking at you!? That was so cool!! You're sooo lucky!

The child turned around, surprised to see Monster Kid, of all monsters, pushing their way out of the seagrass and falling face first on the ground. Before they could try and help him he was back up, awe shining in his black eyes. Why was he there?

MK saw the question in their eyes and grinned sheepishly.

* Hehehe, I snuck out here to see Undyne, originally, but also because I wanted to make sure you were okay.

The human grinned, giving him a thumbs up. The kid looked relieved, letting out a huff of breath. Frisk couldn't believe that he had come all the way out here just to make sure Frisk was doing okay. MK ran ahead a short ways, jumping and looking back.

* A-anyway, come on! Let's see if we can catch up to Undyne- maybe we'll see her beat up some bad guys!

They didn't like the sound of that. Catching up to Undyne OR seeing her beat anyone up. Besides, chances were, it would be Frisk.

 

\---------

It was cold and damp, Frisk was exhausted, and Kid had hardly stopped talking, but all in all things could be worse.

The next thirty minutes proceeded without much incident. Frisk and their companion nearly fell crossing a stream and the raft almost fell apart when they crossed a black  lake, but everything worked out in the end. Finally they reached the far shore and the human clambered off the raft, relishing the feel of solid ground. They really didn't like water or being near the stuff.

As soon as the raft was safely moored to the dock the two continued through Waterfall, Kid leading the way. Frisk hadn't noticed it earlier, but scattered throughout the place were plaques with writing on them along the walls, the letters glowing faintly. When they tugged at Monster Kid's shirt and pointed to them he only shrugged disinterestedly.

* Those things tell the story of war between humans and monsters... Huh? You want to read it? It'd take forever to stop and read 'em all and we don't have time for that so I'll sum it up for you.

* A long time ago humans sealed us monsters underground with a barrier. Things could come in, seeing as how you're the eighth human to show up, but nothing can get out without a lotta soul power. Seven human souls and one really strong monster soul should do the trick!

Frisk tilted their head, pulling out their note pad. (*why do you need 7 human souls and 1 monster soul?) They asked, showing it to Kid. 

* Well... that's because human souls are supposed to be a lot stronger than a monster soul. And 7 will break the barrier. It takes about 100 monster souls to make up just your soul, Frisk.

The child stared at him, eyebrows raised. That many? And yet, they didn't really know what their soul was or why it had that kind of importance. So.. with Frisks, they would have enough souls to break the barrier and... what, coexist with the humans on the surface? It sounded really nice. They hoped that could happen. All the monsters they had met so far had been nothing but kind, save a select few. They didn't deserve to be trapped like this.

*Yeah, you humans have wicked strong souls... but I ain't scared or nothin', not if all the humans are as nice as you.

Frisk blushed. MK looked back at them, eyes widening when his gaze met theirs. Running ahead before Frisk could interrogate him for a deeper meaning to that compliment he quickly changed the subject, going into detail about how Asgore came to his class once. They grinned, their smile widening anytime Kid looked back and made eye contact before quickly looking away. It was cute. 

Eventually they reached a crossroads. In one direction was a forest, the ground illuminated by glowing grass and the tree tops full of shimmering moss. It was hauntingly beautiful, but they'd probably get lost. In the other direction was a dead end with a random piano, but there was nothing else to see. As they backtracked to the crossroads the yellow monster turned to Frisk with an apologetic look.

* Sorry Frisk, I haven't actually been this far into Waterfall before. It's east for sure now, if I'm right you should be able to see the castle! That's where Papyrus said you were going, right?

Frisk nodded. The castle, and then to see Asgore and ask if they can leave through the barrier. Home sickness occasionally twisted the child's gut, but for the most part Frisk had accepted the fact they were stuck down here for now. But with the idea that the castle was close enough to be seen a little bit of hope sparked in their heart.

The trail they were on was even wetter than most, seeing as how water was constantly dripping down and causing huge puddles of water to form. There had been a conveniently placed bucket full of umbrella's of different sizes off to the side of the road and so Frisk had gotten one for them. Not that MK had any arms to carry one with. The path went east for a short ways before turning north, and finally opening up to the night.

Or so Frisk thought at first, given the fact that along the ridge they were on you could see the entire Underground. Frisk couldn't look away from the view, enraptured. MK gaped next to them, clearly just as amazed by the sight. It was beautiful enough to take anyone's breath away. 

They appeared to be on a small mountain with crumbling sides. From the ridge, they could see the distant ruins, monster cities, even Snowdin, but what stood out the most was the massive castle that stood out against the black cavern walls. It looked like it was straight out of one of Frisk's fairytale books about the knights and kings and princesses. It made them feel... small. Insignificant. And yet... determined.

(*I didn't know this place was so big.)

* It sure looks big from here, don't it? I heard the capital got overcrowded though. Monsters might start moving to Snowdin. I hope there's some more kids to play with. Me and Lyra like the rocks, but it'd still be great to make some new friends!

A comfortable silence stretched out between them as they stopped to let Frisk catch their breath, the only noise the distant _plip plop_ of water dripping in the cave and Frisk's labored breathing. It took about ten minutes for the human to feel good enough to keep going but eventually they were off again, heading back into the caves that made up Waterfall. 

They hadn't really planned for what would happen if they had to split up. Perhaps they should have, because one path had taken MK and Frisk to what seemed to be a dead end. The wall they faced wasn't very tall and upon closer inspection had a ledge above it, which MK had nudged Frisk over to investigate. Muscles trembling from the exertion, they stood carefully, eyes following the passageway as far as they could.

* Do you see Undyne?

(*No. But there's a path.)

* Can you go forward?

(*Yeah. come on!)

* Huh, you want me to come up too? You can't pull me up and I don't have any arms. You go ahead and look for Undyne, I'll catch up soon! Don't worry about me, I always find a way.

 Frisk started to protest but Kid had already turned around and raced back the way they came, tripping and falling on his face in the process. They sighed. Welp. Nowhere to go but forward.

Nervously, now that they were by themselves again, they started down the passage, fearfully checking for Undyne. Soon they stumbled upon several walkways made of wood. They looked sturdy enough, but after that raft incident they were wary of things built here.

_Whoosh... thunk!_

A blue spear soared through the air and buried it's point in the dirt just behind them. Frisk staggered backwards and barely kept their balance, staring at the spear which fizzled and popped with dangerous magical energy. 

*** There you are. I've got you now!**

Frisk didn't need to ask who had thrown it. Undyne had already prepared another spear and was looming from behind a pillar on a distant walkway, poised to kill. Frisk did something they made a point not to do because they were indefinitely sick and weak and exerting themselves wouldn't help a blooming thing- they ran. 

Or at least they tried. Limping along the wooden walkways they could hear more spears thudding into the wood behind them, sometimes ahead of them, each time drawing closer and closer to their mark. Undyne was unrelenting in her attacks, occasionally shouting taunts and cackling when Frisk stumbled. It was sadistic, this game of cat and mouse. Yet no matter how much Frisk's lungs burned and their muscles begged them to stop, they knew that it would be their death.

They felt like they had evaded the spears for hours though it was probably no more than a few minutes. Blood rushed in their ears and their vision kept fading, even going black at points. Frisk finally collapsed, unable to go on. The boards shook behind them as Undyne leaped the gap and landed on the wooden walkway, several spears poised and aimed at the child.

They sliced through a particularly weak wooden board just shy of the human and Frisk's heart leaped in their throat as the boards shuddered and gave way, and then, not for the first time...

They were falling to what was undoubtedly their death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to hit me up on tumblr!  
> skymoreon.tumblr.com


	15. Hey It's Alright, My Life Ain't Always Been a Bed of Buttercups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh, I am very weary, though tears no longer flow; my eyes are tired oweeping, my heart is sick of woe." -Anne Bronte

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED AS OF 5/23/16. Added an extra scene- doesn't affect the main story very much, but felt needed.
> 
> I've been trying to rush for like, three chapters now, never once realizing how much more I could expand on in Waterfall!

Frisk wasalive. Sore, damp, and barely conscious but alive. They figured the bed of golden flowers must have broken their fall from the walkway. Which made absolutely no sense. From where they were, they could look up and see the bridge several stories above them, even see the broken boards where they had fallen. 

They groaned, sitting up. Where was their stick..? They looked off to the side an noticed several splintered chunks of wood float by. Welp. That answers that. The food in their bag was mushy but still edible.

Looking around as they ate, they saw that they were on small island with a dock leading away from it down a dark water passage. The water smelled faintly sour like sewage and trash was piled in the corners, giving it a rather dirty vibe. Perhaps it was a trash dump? Frisk finished eating and donned their bag. They took a few careful steps, testing their legs and the mushy ground beneath them. They felt like they'd give out any second but when it seemed okay Frisk dared to continue.

The dock was old and rotting like everything else in Waterfall, creaking weakly as they went. Several boards were slick with mold and they slipped at least three times but kept going, eager to get away from the stench. The best thing about this whole situation was that Undyne had given up her chase for the time being. They had the feeling they'd meet her again, but decided to push the thought away until the time comes. Not that they had any battle plan for fighting her...

The trash-filled water seemed to stretch on endlessly, far past the end of the walkway where Frisk was forced to abandon it and trudge through the smelly water. There were all sorts of familiar items down here. Granted, most were in terrible shape, but there were a few name brand items that stood out, mostly old food wrappers and a few scattered DVD cases. 

A training dummy like the one Toriel had asked them to practice with was sticking out of the water, definitely worse for the wear. Frisk popped it's nose playfully, continuing along. As they went, they felt the water on the back of their legs rise slightly as it rippled against them. Frisk turned back, letting their gaze be drawn back to where the dummy was. Past tense, because it was no longer there.

* HA! You think YOU can just HIT ME AND LEAVE!!?

Frisk whirled around, startled. There it was, shaking and glaring at them angrily. The dummy seemed beyond upset- it was _mad._

Panic filled Frisk as their soul was wrenched forth and they were drawn into a battle. They hated fighting, and the initial fear had yet to subside before their opponent had summoned smaller versions of itself.

* And my COUSIN! HE used to live in a dummy too, until YOU CAME ALONG and said such AWFUL THINGS, making him leave! ENOUGH! You make me SO mad!! URGH! DUMMIES, ATTACK!

Whatever he was talking about was foreign to the child and it took everything to avoid the first barrage of magic. Yet Frisk wouldn't fight- they tried to run past it but the dummies had them surrounded. Frisk raised their hands, dropping onto their knees in the putrid water and asking to be spared.

* Pathetic. Pathetic! PATHETIC!

The mad dummy called his dummies together and ordered them to prepare one last attack. They transformed into tiny robots, a magic aura flowing freely around them.

* Alright dummy bots! This is it- AT... OUCH! OW, JEEZ WHAT IS THIS!?

Frisk pulled their soul close to themselves, looking up in fear. Something appeared to be dripping onto the mad dummy and it was burning holes in the fabric. Amidst it's screeching the dummy bots fizzled into nothingness and the mad dummy fled, leaving Frisk kneeling in the passage alone. For a moment at least.

* Oh.... I scared your friend away...

The voice was coming from somewhere above them. The child looked up, and was surprised to see a ghost lowering from the ceiling, his eyes comically big and wavering as if he'd just been crying. Frisk gave him a friendly smile, giving him a thumbs up. He looked a little confused, tears starting to form in his eyes.

* You... wanted him gone? You... are just saying that to make me feel better....

* My.. name.. is Napstablook... f-feel free to 'come with', if you want. It's not safe here...

 The 'fight' ended. Frisk's soul reentered their body, much to their relief, and Napstablook averted his gaze, turning around and drifting off. Frisk felt compelled to follow and did thus, keeping close. The dampness in the air was getting to them and they were sniffling again, but the life-threatening numbness from earlier wasn't present. 

Napstablook led the child up a small incline, leaving the water behind and emerging into a small cavern. There were several chambers leading away from it and a pool of fresh water in the middle of the room. A  shy monster sat in the corner, but didn't approach either the ghost or the human. Napstablook floated towards one of the chambers before seeming to remember their guest, turning back towards Frisk. He looked as if he was struggling to say something, and finally took a deep (but unnecessary) breath.

* I wasn't going to tell you... but you seem nice... so I will.....

* ...........I heard that Undyne was looking for a human in a striped shirt...

* You aren't human, are you?... Either way, I would leave soon if I were you... she might... mistake you for one... since you have a striped... shirt............

* go right from here... you'll eventually reach Hotland..... if you want...

Frisk thanked the ghost. They felt bad for not telling him they were human, but it seemed most monsters couldn't recognize one and they would rather keep it that way. Napstablook hovered awkwardly over the water before muttering a 'good luck' and floating off down the central chamber.  Frisk couldn't really afford to take a break and didn't waste time heading onward. 

The ground here was steadily growing firmer and rockier, unlike the loose gravel that covered much of Waterfall. It was easier going from there on out and soon Frisk swore they smelled smoke on the wind. Their legs were cramping and their breath was short by the time they were actually close enough to see the mountains in the distance. _So close..._

Frisk nearly stepped off the ledge. They caught themselves in time, barely keeping their balance as loose shoal and pebbles fell to the waters below. Once again the path they were on had led straight into water. Waterfall seemed to be pretty straight forward and there had only been one path so far, so Frisk had no choice but to take the plunge. Literally. They picked up a heavy rock and dropped it off the ledge

_sploosh!_

They watched as it floated out of sight. The pool was deep... but Frisk had little choice. They could go back to Napstablook and wait for MK to find them, but the child was far too stubborn. A strong desire to prove themselves kept them going, even as tired as they were. Frisk took a deep breath. What had dad said when he tried to teach them to swim? Paddle with your arms, kick with your legs... Frisk held their breath and jumped.

 Plunging into the icy water, the shock took their breath away. Once their feet touched bottom Frisk pushed off, struggling for the surface and gulping in fresh air. Icy claws of fear gripped them as they flailed in vain trying to move towards the water's surface, coughing and inhaling water. Their vision started to blur and go dark- 

Right when they were about to give up something grabbed their arm, dragging them up and forward through the water. Frisk gasped as they broke the surface, reaching their arms out and touching rock. The grip on their arm left, leaving them to pull themselves into shallower water. Frisk sat there panting, completely drenched. That was probably the worst decision they had made since leaving Snowdin.

Frisk gave a violent shudder. Sitting in the cold water was going to kill them, so eventually regaining some strength they stood, leaning against the wall and continuing along the path. The light in the tunnel grew dimmer and dimmer, eventually unable to even see their hands in front of their face. Frisk sneezed. As if on cue the tunnel grew bright once more, startling the child.

Evidently, the glowing rocks here seemed to react to sound, brightening in tiny increments whenever Frisk scuffled their feet or stumbled, but as the light faded once more it was clear it wouldn't be enough to illuminate the path.

A soft whisper sounded in front of them. Frisk gave a start, peering into the darkness for the sound. It spoke again. 'be....' Be what, afraid? Cold? That was easy. Frisk continued forward. As they did, the vibrant petals of an echo flower stood out against the darkness mere meters away. It seemed to be saying something. Frisk leaned in towards it, listening.

 *** Behind you.** The flower echoed.

\---

Frisk turned around, and nearly had a heart attack. Invading their personal space was...  _something._ The creature closest waved a paw frantically, speaking.

* hOI! aM TEMmiE!! And dIs is my fren, TeMie!! AN don forget my Frenn...

* Hi. I'm Bob.

Frisk took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. White furred and energetic, there were about five of the creatures- Reminiscent of a dog or a cat, the monsters had dark hair and two sets of ears and seemed to be wearing a striped shirt. _They must be kids,_ Frisk thought as the dog/cat like creatures bounded forward, startling the human.

* OoO issa hUUMAN!? Tem LUV HooMAns!!

* Let brIN G hOman to TEM VILLAGE!!

* Yaya, TeM VIALLGE!! TEM HAv deep hsitory! !! You liek!

The 'Temmie', as they seemed to be called, babbled excitedly among themselves, all the while vibrating closer to Frisk. Frisk didn't know what to make of all this or whether to go along- they didn't give the child a choice, unfortunately, and soon the entire group was ushering Frisk onward, helpless against the assault. 

* (H-help!)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo it's close now :o  
> Bother me on tumblr!
> 
> skymoreon.tumblr.com


	16. Temmorrow is a new day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "For a moment there, I saw an ounce of promise in you. But you weren't strong enough to follow through on that. I just hope, for your sake that you one day find it again; that you manage to brush away the rubble in your head and find a way to love, and be loved.  
> It's something you've been without for far too long."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 5/23/16 I added in a much needed scene with the Temmie, so if you've already read past this and were re-reading or something, you might want to check it out!
> 
> Woo finally! Chapter 16 is done! I'm sorry for sometimes missing an update or two, but no worries, I'll continue to release things on Monday and Thursday as I can, so you know if I miss one of those days the chapter will come out on the next specified day~
> 
> Decided to take the story in a slightly different direction! I'm always open to suggestions and feedback, so feel free to send any!

The Temmie led Frisk to a part of Waterfall they hadn't seen yet- almost impossible to navigate without some form of light and yet somehow the small dogs navigated the hidden pathways as if it were broad daylight. They spoke and yipped almost constantly, the air alive with bits of conversation, so much that Frisk almost couldn't take it. And then the hallway opened up and suddenly there was light.

A sprawling room lay before them, a stone statue dominating the center of the area. The Temmie flooding around the child gradually grew, instead of leaving like they'd hoped they would. There were probably twenty of them, all chattering and vibrating and asking questions. It was overwhelming. 

Frisk eventually gathered, through their broken speech, that the first Temmies they'd met had been watching them for a while and had gotten concerned for Frisk's safety. One such Temmie tugged on the child's shirt, excitement clear on it's face.

* You st a Y with Temm?? Tem make u SaFE, WArm. HooMAn not lok so WeL. St a y, YAya?

Not like they had a choice- it would be impossible to leave without a guide of some sort. So, Frisk nodded their head. Temmie clapped her hands and a moment later was barking some orders to the Tem next to her at high speeds. The Temmie- No doubt named Temmie- ran off.

* Awawawa! HoomAN sleep soon- B ig day tomrro!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometime in the night, Frisk awoke to a light tap on the shoulder. They groggily rubbed their eyes- they were so warm and comfortable, who had woken them? Frisk had fallen asleep right in the middle of the group of Temmie which had been great protection against the dampness of the air, not to mention that they all continued to vibrate gently in their sleep, essentially rocking Frisk to sleep. Frisk looked over their shoulder.

Standing knee deep in Temmie was a short, sturdy skeleton. Frisk could feel their chest tighten, heart leaping at the sight of the lazy bones. What was Sans doing here, and of all monsters? They had been like one hundred percent sure that Undyne had showed up silently and was there to take their soul.

Sans noticed the look on their face and gave a sympathetic chuckle, scratching the back of his skull.

* expecting someone else kiddo? sorry, just regular 'ol sans.

Sans gave Frisk's hair a ruffle as they sat up, careful to wake the Temmies in their haste to reach Sans. They had not realized how much they had missed the monster's presence. Frisk stepped out of the pile of sleeping Temmie, tripping over one on the edge and falling into Sans waiting arms.

* what, have ya fallen for me? heheh.

Frisk grinned, batting him playfully. They reclaimed balance, Sans steadying them with his arm.

* let's get outta here before you water-fall over. you look like you've been through rough waves.

Frisk rolled their eyes, nestling against his warm jacket and wrapping their arms around him. It was as The sight of a friendly face left them close to tears.

Sans offered his hand. Frisk took it and he gave it a light squeeze before heading out of the room. Once again in the dark the child had to rely heavily on the skeleton to navigate the correct corridors, which he seemed to have no trouble doing, and tried not to slow him down. Sans spoke quietly as he walked down a waterway, looking around them and moving along at a good pace. Doing anything fast was never in the skeleton's style, but  it was hard enough to keep up and Frisk didn't have the energy to comment on it. They wondered if Undyne had anything to do with his tenseness...

* to patella the truth, after you left papyrus seemed down. the whole town was. i'd be telling a fib-ula if i said they weren't worried to the bone.

* so after not much debate, paps dragged me along to find ya.

* i gotta say, i'd much rather be sitting in a forest waiting on a persistent little kid. human hunting is far less relaxing.

All of the Snowdin monsters had been so sweet, it wasn't that much of a surprise that not only Monster Kid but the skeleton brothers be concerned enough to come after Frisk. 

Ahead the path opened up onto a rocky outcrop, complete with dizzying cliffs and royal guardsman-in-training. Beside him was a rather rattled Monster Kid who looked as if his encounter with the taller skeleton hadn't gone as well as Frisk's and Sans's. When he saw them Papyrus let out a 'nyeh!' of surprise, starting forward. Frisk allowed their eyes to droop closed, sighing contentedly. Nap time.

* SANS, THERE YOU ARE! THANK GOODNESS YOU FOUND THE HUMAN, I WAS BECOMING VERY WORRIED AFTER MK TOLD ME WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

* Frisk! Are you okay? Ah man, I'm super duper sorry, we shoulda found a way 'round...

The sound of their friends worried voices seemed to come in and out as Frisk started so slip from consciousness, that is until a lower voice sounded in their ear. Sans had spoken, the slightest tinge of fear in his tone.

* hey kiddo, stay awake for me, okay? don't die this time.

Frisk blinked their eyes back open in confusion. Die? What did he mean, and why did he say 'this time'? The words were unsettling, but a sense of determination kept them conscious. Sans let them slide off of his back but remained their support until Papyrus had scooped them up, nestling against his chest.

* HERE, EAT UP. MONSTER FOOD IS MADE OF PURE MAGIC, WHICH TURNS STRAIGHT INTO ENERGY. YOU'LL PERK UP QUICKLY!

Papyrus held up a unicicle. Frisk did as they were told, taking and consuming the frozen treat. They felt energy course through them, a tingling feeling that eased away some of their weariness and stress and thankfully strengthened their will to go on.

Neither Sans nor Toriel had explained any of the magical properties of monster food, or even began to explain how their soul or magic worked. It hadn't seemed important at the time to Frisk, but knowing that just a bite could help save their life seemed really good to know.

* So Frisk, how'd you make it this far!? I mean, no offense, but you're pretty wimpy. I hardly broke a sweat getting here! E-eheh, yeah, it was easy~

The yellow monster was bouncing with excitement, curiosity in his voice.Frisk turned until they were facing outward and started telling their adventure from the moment they got separated from Kid.

*( After we got split up a armored monster chased me with spears and then I fell into a trash dump. It was scary, but I was too tired to really be afraid.)

 

*( A-and then there was a ghost, and a dummy, and then I got lost, a-and...)

Frisk trailed off, wiping their eyes. It had been a pretty awful experience and they had coped with it as well as they could, but they made a decision at that moment. No more traveling alone. Frisk looked up at Papyrus, then over at Sans. They signed something to the skeletons, a pleading look on their face.

* HM? GO WITH YOU? WHY, THAT'S WHY WE CAME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Papyrus proclaimed loudly. The child looked to Sans for confirmation. The short skeleton gave a shrug, but then nodded. The fact that they wouldn't be traveling alone was more than soothing to their mind and Frisk visibly relaxed, smiling.

* yep. that's the plan. but uh, first, gotta get kid here back home.

The aforementioned froze, giving Sans a bewildered look. Frisk would have laughed at him if they could- his expression was priceless- but settled instead for biting their lip, trying to hide the amusement they felt. It wouldn't be nice to laugh.

* What!? But I STILL didn't get to see Undyne beat up any bad guys...

Despite his protests, MK gave in without much of a fight and Sans offered to take him home. Papyrus told them that he was going to take Frisk and go ahead, but that he was expecting Sans to catch up later. Sans agreed but from the look on the lazy skeleton's face, he probably wouldn't be in a rush. The two left, leaving Papyrus on the cliff with Frisk. He was unusually quiet until the child tapped his arm, giving a questioning look.

* I'M SORRY, HUMAN. I MUST HAVE BEEN DAYDREAMING, NYEH HEH...  LET'S FORGE ON AHEAD! TO HOTLAND!

Pushing aside whatever had been bothering him Papyrus headed down the path, still holding Frisk who wasn't about to complain. He told them about everything that had happened in the past day and a half since Frisk had left (had it only been that long? It felt longer).

  * I STILL WISH YOU AND UNDYNE COULD MEET ON FRIENDLIER TERMS, I'M SURE YOU'D BE THE BEST OF FRIENDS!

He declared, going on to tell the story of how he'd waited day and night to join the royal guard with her. From the sounds of things, perhaps Undyne wasn't as bad a monster as they'd seemed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Undyne will show up for real soon. Let's see what happens!
> 
> Again, thank you guys so much for the moral support. I can't express how much I needed it, but I'll try not to be down on myself anymore, y'hear? I'm Onionsan now, y'hear?
> 
> edit: *omg i accidentally deleted chapter 17 and all the kind comments that gave me life ;-; but it still meant a lot!


	17. Something Fishy Is Going On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED AS OF 5/24/16 Mostly rewritten, now with an adequate amount of angst.
> 
> Whew, here it is! Sorry it took so long. Anyway yeah, new chapter! Enter Undyne.

The cool, damp air of Waterfall was gradually becoming dryer, bringing the faint scent of smoke on the wind. Frisk surveyed the cliffside from atop Papyrus's shoulders, hands holding onto his skull for balance. They liked riding like this. Atop the tall skeleton it felt like they were on top of the world, able to see into the murky depths that seemed to stretch out endlessly- The Underground was bigger than it seemed. Though it has been growing lighter as time went by and they left Waterfall behind.

Traveling with Papyrus was a lot more fun than with Monster Kid, though that was really due to circumstance and the fact that Frisk kept blacking out. Under safer conditions it would have been far more memorable. Perhaps with adult supervision, their inhaler and trusty walking cane, nearby phones,things they didn't have with them here in the underground.

Papyrus took notice of the child's silence and gave them a pat on the leg.

* THE KIND INNKEEPER TOLD ME THAT YOU ARE SICK, IS THAT RIGHT HUMAN?

Frisk hesitated. They didn't like to address their 'sickness'. It hadn't even been noticeable three months ago, but now it had consumed every aspect of their life, and Frisk Was constantly reminded how helpless they were to stop it. Frisk had heard enough to know... They weren't going to get better. They swallowed thickly.

* (Yes.)

* JUST AS I THOUGHT. MONSTERS DO NOT GET SICK LIKE HUMANS DO, SO WE DO NOT HAVE DOCTORS. 

* HOWEVER, I KNOW ONE MONSTER WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP. SHE IS THE ROYAL SCIENTIST, AND KNOWS ABOUT ALL SORTS OF THINGS! HER LAB IS WHERE WE ARE HEADED NOW.

A scientist monster? Frisk wondered how science worked in the underground when magic was so prevalent in their lives. The two didn't seem to go hand-in-hand, but perhaps monsterkind had managed a way to combine them. They forced themselves to breathe steadily, trying to steady their nerves. Frisk prepared for the barrage of questions Papyrus undoubtedly had about their illness. There was an awkward silence.

* ER, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING, WHAT KIND OF SICK ARE YOU? DOES YOUR TUMMY HURT? (SOMETIMES, SANS USED TO GET TUMMY ACHES WHEN HE HAD TOO MUCH KETCHUP.) DO YOU HAVE A FEVER?

* (I have a messed up heart, which makes my body weak. Kind of like if you had a messed up soul.)

Papyrus stopped in his tracks. Frisk looked down at him, quirking an eyebrow. The skeleton met their gaze but Frisk adverted their eyes almost immediately because there was that stupid pitying look, the one that everybody always gave them. No one looked at them like a normal kid anymore- it was like they wore a physical label that read 'FRAGILE CONTENTS', like a shipping box and they were just going from test to test, person to person.

Frisk tried so hard to be strong, even with a wonky heartbeat and muscles that were slowly failing. Water welled up in the child's eyes, blurring their vision. Frisk wiped at their tears angrily, hiccuping and biting their lip to keep it from trembling.

_I hate myself._

_I'm so weak._

_I wish the fall had killed me so I wouldn't have to put up with that look any longer..._

* NYEH! YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT THAT, HUMAN! ABOUT HAVING A MESSED UP SOUL.

The skeleton took Frisk off his shoulders, setting them down on the dusty ground. Frisk didn't answer, hanging their head and letting the tears fall as he pulled them close. What did this monster know about them? Nothing, that's right. He was just here to get Frisk away, no one wanted to keep them-

* I ENVY YOU, I REALLY DO. YOU HAVE THE STRONGEST AND MOST DETERMINED SOUL I HAVE EVER LAID EYES ON! EVEN NOW I CAN FEEL IT PULSING WITH ENERGY! YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN STRONG. HOW ELSE COULD YOU HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR IN A STRANGE PLACE FULL OF MONSTERS?

Frisk hiccuped again, burrowing their face in his warm scarf. That wasn't what Frisk had been waiting for him to say, he had to be lying just to make them feel better. Then again, Papyrus was normally very honest and deep down, Frisk felt like he was telling the truth. Papyrus smiled,  lifting Frisk's head and wiping away the tears streaming down their cheeks. 

* (...You think I'm strong?)

* THE ABSOLUTE STRONGEST! EVEN STRONGER THAN THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND I AM VERY STRONG!

Frisk almost gave a halfhearted laugh, the corners of their mouth twitching up. When he said it like that, Frisk almost believed it. That somehow, they were strong. But that wasn't true, Frisk knew. They clutched the fabric of their shirt, over their heart. _Th-thump. Th-t-thump._

Maybe they had a strong Soul, but their Soul didn't pump blood through their veins.

 

\-----

It took them another twenty minutes of walking through dusty soil and scaring off the occasional horse monster to actually reach the entrance to Hotlands.

* HERE WE ARE! WELCOME TO HOTLANDS, HUMAN! ...ARE YOU SURE THAT SWEATER ISN'T TOO WARM?

Frisk shook their head,  staring up at the huge sign ushering them into the new territory. It was impossible to miss, really, seeing as the sign was an electric glowing thing hoisted in the air on metal legs. From here Frisk could see that the terrain changed gradually into ragged cliffs and rocky red roads dotted with shrubs and cacti.

The heat was starting to get unbearable as well, and- was that lava? Yes, pools of lava bubbled menacingly far below them on either side of the stone, sizzling occasionally. Frisk shoved up their sleeves, fanning themselves. 

They traveled for another fifteen minutes, Frisk asking questions and Papyrus answering as best he could.

Papyrus explained that Hotlands was apparently a specialized home for some exceptionally hot natured residents, such as a cute volcano monster they passed named Vulkin (who kept trying to hug Papyrus, almost getting lava on him multiple times) or a monster that was engulfed in natural flames named Pyrope. Apparently Grillby had also once lived here with his daughter, but moved to Snowdin to open up his bar.

Having a nice place to warm up from the cold was very profitable all around for the residents. There was a lot of history here, which was kind of expected now that Frisk considered it. Monsters had been here for 100 years, they hadn't been twiddling their thumbs the whole time. No, they'd been trying to make their new home livable, to hold on to hope and persevere and keep going, even when it was pointless-

Kind of like how Frisk was deadset on getting home.

The sound of feet crunching on gravel sounded from behind the duo. Frisk whirled around, eyes lighting up as they expected to see Sans. Surely he'd had time to take Monster Kid home by now and was finally rejoining them. However, it wasn't Sans. Dread settled heavy in the kid's gut as Papyrus tensed as well, worry written across his features. The soldier standing on the pathway was still clad in her silver armor and was certainly not lazy or laid back. As she approached she removed her helmet, shaking out a ponytail of long red hair. Blue, scaled skin, complete with fins, sharp teeth, and hair that resembled the fins of Frisk's beta fish back home, the menacing monster was sweating as she put her helmet under her arm, pointing at Frisk and Papyrus. 

* I finally caught up to you, BRAT. You managed to get away from me back there at the bridge, but you're DOOMED now that my apprentice has you! Fuhuhu!

Frisk gulped nervously and Paps took a hesitant step back, holding out a gloved hand.

* WAIT, UNDYNE! I... WE SHOULDN'T TAKE THIS HUMAN'S SOUL.

He blurted out. Undyne stopped her advance, eyes snapping from the child and instead to the skeleton. She seemed shocked by his words.

* Papyrus. Do you even know what you're saying? We have SIX human souls. We just need ONE MORE, and you're saying that we should let this human go!? 

* I KNOW UNDYNE, BUT LISTEN. THIS HUMAN IS... WELL, THEY'RE REALLY NICE. AND THEY'RE SICK, THEY NEED OUR HELP--

Undyne shouted, cutting off his words as she launched her spear across the short gap between them. The spear was fast, but Papyrus was faster, summoning several bones from the ground and grabbing Frisk before ducking behind them. The spear clattered against them noisily and disappeared with a  _ding._  Frisk clung on tightly, closing their eyes. _This was it, they were going to... even Papyrus was..._

* This human isn't ANY BETTER THAN THE REST OF THE LOT!! I'm not going to ask you again. If you won't do it, then give. Me. The. HUMAN.

The lady soldier growled, glaring at them. Frisk blanched. This was really it, their adventure was over. They were going to die at the hands of this murderous fish lady. Papyrus was shaking his head in denial now, picking Frisk up in his arms and cradling them protectively as he stood.

* You're too soft, Papyrus. I asked you to capture the human, and you've BEFRIENDED them. 

* YOU WOULD BE THEIR FRIEND TOO, IF YOU WOULD JUST GIVE THEM A CHANCE!

 The tall skeleton's voice was pained. He shot several bones out of the ground by the captain in a semi-circle, effectively barring her. Undyne let out a startled 'HEY!', stumbling back. Papyrus took the opportunity to run. Magic crackled in the air as Undyne used her spear to cut the bones down, stepping over the splintered pieces and giving chase.

* HOLD ON TIGHT FRISK!

Into Hotlands they ran, Papyrus's long legs keeping them ahead of the iron-clad soldier, if only just. The heat was turning up, sweat somehow running down the skeleton's skull. Frisk was feeling dizzy, struggling to breathe in the parched air as the stress caused their heart to produce wild, stuttering beats as the demand for air greatened.

Right up ahead was a long, wooden bridge, similar to the one in Snowdin. Below it lava steamed menacingly, and to the left was a small sentry post with snow on it's roof. As they rushed past Frisk noticed a small, lazy skeleton sleeping with his head on the counter. Papyrus made a strained noise, grumbling something about 'sleeping on the job no matter where he is' but didn't have time to stop for his brother.

Undyne hurled a spear into the sentry post as she ran by. Sans didn't flinch.

The three of them headed onto the bridge, the wood creaking as it swung dangerously over the magma. On other side they turned to look at their their pursuer.

* UNDYNE, I DO NOT WANT TO FIGHT YOU BUT IF I MUST-- ...ARE YOU ALRIGHT?

Undyne was gasping as she staggered across the last part of the bridge, nodding. Sweating profusely, she was obviously feeling the effect of the heat in Hotlands. Upon reaching the solid ground, she tried to speak but words failed her and she collapsed, sending up a cloud of red dust.

* UNDYNE!

Immediately Papyrus ran to her, setting Frisk down gently. Frisk came to stand by them, holding onto the skeleton's scarf. Undyne had passed out on the ground, breathing labored. The child knew the signs of heat exhaustion when they saw them and looked around for some water. Not more than a few meters away stood one of those office water dispensers, filled to the brim with bubbling water. A single monster stood beside it, a startled look on his face. They certainly were making a scene, he had every right to stare, but it gave Frisk an idea.

No. They didn't have it in them to let Undyne die. 

Frisk walked over to the water dispenser, reaching up for a cup. They couldn't quite reach it, being so small, and after a moment hesitation the monster handed them a cup. Thanking them, Frisk took the water and kneeled down beside Undyne. Papyrus had propped her up and was fanning her, though... it wasn't really helping. Gently holding the cup to her lips the child encouraged her to drink- even just a little. As she did, her scales- which had greyed after passing out- reclaimed some of their rich blue coloring.

Her eyes fluttered open and she took the cup herself, downing it in one gulp. 

* UNDYNE, YOU ARE AWAKE!

Papyrus exclaimed, and Frisk clapped. Undyne sat up with a grunt, giving Papyrus a pat on the shoulder.

* Thanks, Pap.

* IT WASN'T ME UNDYNE, IT WAS THE HUMAN!

* What!?

Undyne stared at Frisk. Her gaze was intimidating and hostile, but Frisk held it, giving her a small smile. Undyne finally broke eye contact, standing up without a word. She turned around, starting back the way she came, helmet held loosely in one hand. Papyrus called out to her, but she only said something about going home. And like that, Undyne gave up the chase. Frisk wondered... maybe she wasn't so bad after all. 

* I WANT TO SEE IF SHE GETS HOME SAFELY, BUT ... LET US CONTINUE TO ALPHY'S LAB. WE AREN'T FAR NOW!

Frisk was sure he was more worried than he appeared but they both continued on regardless. Frisk was that important to him? They looked down. Why waste time making sure a kid with a time limit got somewhere safe-

 The building loomed in sight. It was painted a stark white, something cold and uninviting about it's presence. When they finally reached it Frisk noticed Sans leaning lazily against the white walls near the entrance and waved enthusiastically. Sans pushed off the wall, lifting a hand in greeting as he sauntered over.

* hey guys. i got monster kid home. wow, you look _bone_ tired. i'd _lava_  for an update. or maybe i don't get the  _magma_ tude of the situation.

Papyrus groaned, slapping his forehead.

* OKAY, I DIDN'T MISS YOUR PUNS AT ALL! LET'S JUST GET INSIDE.

He exclaimed, stomping up to the door. Sans held out a hand to stop him. Curious, Papyrus looked to his brother with a quirked eyebrow.

* paps, maybe you should go check on undyne. if things don't work out here, we'll meet ya over at her place.

The offer was one the skeleton didn't want to turn down. After casting a worried glance towards Frisk, he seemed to decide they were safe enough with his brother.

* WELL, ALRIGHT. MAKE SURE FRISK STAYS SAFE, I WILL GO AND CHECK ON UNDYNE. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! SANS, I'M SERIOUS.

* i thought you were papyrus?

* NYEH! I AM BOTH!

 


	18. A Special Development

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The prettiest smiles hide the deepest secrets the prettiest eyes have cried the most tears, and the kindest hearts have felt the most pain."

Papyrus led the way into the lab with Frisk and Sans in tow. There hadn't been anyone there to greet them at the door, which seemed unusual. 

* I'M SURE ALPHYS IS JUST CLEANING UP FOR OUR ARRIVAL.

* did you tell her we were coming?

* ER... NO. BUT. I'M SURE SHE WON'T MIND IF WE EXPLAIN!

Frisk held onto Papyrus's hand as they walked further into the lab. It was hard to see. The only light source was a dimly flickering light at the end of the hallway. Frisk could just make out some piles of trash against the wall. It didn't seem to be that well taken care of in here. Frisk let go of Papyrus's hand and he gave them a puzzled look.

* (I wanna walk with Sans.)

Sans shrugged as the child dropped back to him, smiling. 

* it's fine bro. i _lab_ -solutely don't mind it.

Papyrus scowled before pointedly ignoring his brother, marching ahead and calling out.

* HELLO? ALPHYS? ME AND MY BROTHER ARE HERE TO VISIT!

There was no response, but he kept going. Meanwhile, Frisk started feeling along the wall, hoping for a lightswitch or something. They didn't want to run into anything in the dark. 

Their hand glided over a button and they hesitated before pressing it. To their left a screen sprang to life, causing the child to flinch slightly and blink in surprise. Focusing on the screen it seemed to be a security camera or something, but it was focused solely on Frisk. Well. That was bizarre. Sans shuffled to a stop beside them, looking at the screen with a casual grin.

* hey kiddo, guess you're pretty popular around here. 

Frisk looked at him in distress.

* (Not funny! Why am I on the screen?)

The skeleton didn't answer, only shrugging uselessly. Frisk reverted their attention back to the screen. They waved. The Frisk on screen waved too. They danced a bit, grinning in amusement as they watched themselves jam out to an unknown song, but it wasn't long before they were breathing heavily. 

* I THINK I FOUND THE LIGHT!

Papyrus called suddenly. A _click_ echoed around the room before the lights came on, almost painfully bright. Just like hospital lights...

Something was off. Frisk wasn't the only one on the screen now- there was something taking up quite a bit of space behind them. 

* _frisk!_

Out of the corner of their eye Frisk could see Sans start towards them but their attention was on the sudden pressure they felt on their back. It was almost too fast for the human to register at first- one moment they were fine, the next they were about a foot off the ground with... something... sticking out of their chest.

It didn't take long. Seconds later they were discarded to the ground, rolling over onto their back. Now that the shock was gone the pain was coming. Yet even through that they could see the metal, rectangular robot standing in front of the computer screen, something glowing red in it's hand. Oh.

Frisk knew what that was. That was their SOUL.

After that, both Sans and Papyrus attacked the robot, but it escaped before they had a chance to do anything. The brothers gave up chase to focus on the fading child, but it was too late. Without their SOUL, there was no living, no resetting, no continuing. Held in the arms of the shorter skeleton everything faded from them. First, their vision. Next, their memories.

Lastly, their life.

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	19. Concentrated Magic is Deadly in Large Doses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY. Oh my gosh, that shouldn't have taken so long. William Shatner.  
> Anyway, enjoy. I don't even have a quote for ya'll today.

Frisk and Sans watched Papyrus turn to leave, hurrying back the way they had come. Frisk found themselves hoping that Undyne was alright and that maybe.. maybe she didn't want to take their Soul anymore. Though they doubted that. Sans rapped on the door lightly, the sound echoing and bringing Frisk out of their troubled thoughts. The door unlocked and slid open, revealing a entryway inside. 

* C-come in, I'll be right there!!

Frisk toon Sans's hand. Together they headed into the building, Sans trailing behind as the door slid closed behind them. The hallway was dark, the only light coming from a large screen down the way.  Even in the dim light it was easy to tell the place was in disarray- stacks of boxes and old plates were scattered along the length of the hall, and the door to a fridge was  ajar, allowing light to spill out onto the floor. 

Their parents wouldn't have let Frisk's room get like this- everything was always neat and tidy, and very clean to keep germs to a minimum for the sickly child. Frisk stepped over some garbage, approaching a cluttered desk. Beside it was... some huge machine with a screen on it. Frisk wasn't sure what it was until they focused on the screen.

It showed a gaunt little kid in a worn, blue sweater with pink stripes across it. Their brown hair was plastered to their forehead with sweat, narrow brown eyes squinted against poorly hidden pain. It was them, Frisk acknowledged rather reluctantly. 

Why were they on camera? Perhaps it was just the security camera locking onto the unusual sight of a human, but it unnerved them how it followed their every move. Come to think of it, hadn't they felt like they were being watched since leaving the ruins..? 

* looks like alph's been keepin' a close eye on ya, kiddo. you've got more monster friends than ya thought.

Sans had come to stand beside the human, a lazy grin on his face. He winked, somehow, his words having the desired effect as Frisk's eyes lit up. What a relief to know that not everyone they were still going to meet were going to be like Undyne. Sans cupped one hand lazily around his mouth.

* alph, i have a little tag-along. looks kinda like a human. thought you'd be interested.

Even without projecting, his voice rang down the hall. They didn't have to wait long before a door at the end  slid open and a short, chubby lizard like monster hurried out, the lights coming on automatically. She -squeaked?- at the sight of her guests, rattling off apologies. It came across rather cute, whether that was her intent or not. Frisk thought they could come to like her quirkiness.

* O-oh my gosh, Frisk! You're here already?? Oh my, I-I'm hardly dressed f-for guests, I've been down in the lab all day, and then Mettaton- Oh, Mettaton, he's been-- n-never mind, he's fine.

The lizard dinosaur monster seemed a bit jittery, going between wringing her hands, smoothing out her wrinkled lab coat, and holding her tail. Frisk put their hand on hers, the monsters' other coming to rest on top as she beamed.

* I'm really so excited to finally meet you, Frisk. I am Dr. Alphys, the royal scientist.

* I've been watching you for a while through my cameras. N-not because I wanted to! King Asgore wanted me to capture you and take your Soul, as you realize we need, but the longer I followed your adventure the more I found  m-myself rooting for you! You have a sweet soul, Frisk.

Frisk found themselves blushing lightly. Alphys seemed like a very kind monster with a good heart, they could get used to her, quirkiness and all. The lizard monster gave them a shy smile.

* A-anyway, I've got something for you. Call it a w-welcome gift to my lab. Uhm, but to finish it, I need to run a few t-tests, if that's okay with you??

The child nodded, excited at the prospect of a gift. They could put up with some tests.

_________

Alphys ended up giving them a physical examination, followed by an internal examination (rather than using an x-ray machine, Frisk drank some form of magical medicine that lit up their insides. Coolest X-ray ever). she was quite gentle the whole time, taking messy notes on a clipboard and translating them into some machine. Sans had fallen asleep about halfway through the inspection and was in a chair in the corner, snoring softly. 

Eventually the royal scientist was done. She entered a few more lines of text into the strange machine behind her and pressed a green button. The machine began to thrum, sputtering a few times before settling into an easy purr. A loading bar appeared on a small screen to the left, indicating how long it would be until... whatever it was would be finished. 18:11:04. Eighteen hours? That was a really long time.

*  T-thank you for being such a trooper! With this, I should have enough i-information to finish something I've been w-working on. 

Alphys's words cut into their train of thought. Frisk lifted their hands, palms up as they cocked their head. The scientist replied with a genuine smile, resting a slightly sweaty hand on their shoulder.

* I have something for your sickness, I think.

And without even beginning to explain anything Alphys bid them goodbye, saying she'd be back shortly as she called up an elevator and took it... somewhere, leaving an anxious Frisk alone with the snoozing skeleton.

Frisk huffed angrily. They stared at the clothes on the table. Picking them up they went behind a medical curtain in the corner of the room. They were a little big, but a lot more comfortable than those dirty hot ones from earlier. And the shirt was a tank top, thank goodness. The air conditioning may have worked in here, but it certainly wouldn't outside. A few minutes later Frisk came out from behind the curtain, bundling their clothes and chunking them in the trash.

Sans was awake, examining some of Alphys's medical supplies she'd left on the table. He winked.

* hey, buddy. feelin' better?

* (A little.)

* you look better. somethin' different? new clothes?

Frisk bapped the skeleton lightly on the arm, earning a chuckle. They lapsed into silence as Sans stared at the machine with it's loading screen. 18:01:34.

* looks like we've got a while to wait, huh? that's okay. i've got somethin' we can do. paps just sent me a text, he and undyne are back at her place. we could go by and visit if ya want?  


It was true that Frisk was concerned for the royal guard, and from the look on Sans face, he wanted to go check on his brother and his friend. The skeleton certainly cared for those close to him, it was kind of sweet to think about. 

* (how do we get there?) 

* don't worry, I know a shortcut.

 


End file.
